DAY  OF  FATE, 


BY 

REV.    E.    P.    ROE, 


AUTHOR   OF 


'A  Face  Illumined,"  "Near  to  Nature's  Heart,"  "Barriers  Burned  Away, 

"Opening  a  Chestnut  Burr,'  "A  Knight  of  Ihe  Nineteenth 

Century,"  "Success  with  Small  Fruits,"  etc. 


NEW  YORK : 

DODD,  MEAD  &  COMPANY, 

PUBLISHERS. 


y 


COPYRIGHT,  1880, 
BY  DODD,  MEAD  &  COMPANY. 


PREFACE. 


"Some  shallow  story  of  deep  love." 

SHAKESPEARE. 


CONTENTS, 

§ooh  gust 

CHAPTER  L 

PAGE 

AIMLESS  STEPS,       .,,-,,,,*  n 

CHAPTER  II. 
A  JUNE  DAY  DREAX,  ,  ,22 

CHAPTER  III. 
A  SHINING  TIDE,  32 

CHAPTER  IV, 
REALITY,       ,  4Ji 

CHAPTER  V. 

MUTUAL  DISCOVERIES,          .  59 

CHAPTER  VI. 
A  QUAKER  TEA,          .  *  7* 

CHAPTER  VII. 
A  FRIEND, ,,82 

CHAPTER  VIII. 
THE  MYSTERY  OF  MYSTERIES,    ,  9° 

CHAPTER  IX. 
"  OLD  PLOD,"  101 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  X. 

PAGE 

A  BIT  OF  EDEN,          ........       IIO 

CHAPTER  XI. 
"MOVED,"    ....... 

CHAPTER  XII. 

ONE  OF  NATURE'S  TRAGEDIES, 


CHAPTER  XIII. 
THE  LIGHTNING  AND  A  SUBTLER  FLAME, 


CHAPTER  XIV. 
1  LIFE.    . 

CHAPTER  XV. 


KINDLING  A  SPARK  OF  LIFE l63 


MY  FATE,  


CHAPTER  I. 

THE  DAY  AFTER, 

185 

CHAPTER  II. 

"  IT  WAS  INEVITABLE  " 

.      205 

CHAPTER  III. 

RETURNING  CONSCIOUSNESS 

213 

CHAPTER  IV. 

I\  THE  DARK, 

218 


CONTENTS.  vii 


CHAPTER  V. 

PAGE 

A  FLASH  OF  MEMORY, 

CHAPTER  VI. 

249 
WEAKNESS, 


CHAPTER  VII. 

CHAPTER  VIII. 

CHAPTER  IX. 


OLD  PLOD  IDEALIZED, 263 


271 
Ax  IMPULSE, 


A  WRETCHED  FAILURE, 

CHAPTER  X. 
IN  THE  DEPTHS, 2g 


POOR  ACTING,     . 


CHAPTER  XI. 

.       308 


CHAPTER  XII. 
THE  HOPE  OF  A  HIDDEN  TREASURE, 

CHAPTER  XIII. 
THE  OLD  MEETING-HOUSE  AGAIN, 

CHAPTER  XIV. 
LOVE  TEACHING  ETHICS, 

CHAPTER  XV. 
DON'T  THINK  OF  ME, 35 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 
CHAPTER  XVII. 


"  RICHARD,"  PAGE 

372 


MY  WORST  BLUNDER, 

.        .       389 

CHAPTER  XVIII. 
MRS.   YOCOMB'S  LETTERS, 


ADAH, 


402 
CHAPTER  XIX. 


CHAPTER  XX. 

THANKSGIVING  DAY 

•  '     •        .425 

CHAPTER  XXI. 
RIPPLES  ON  DEEP  WATER, 


A   DAY   OF   FATE. 


BOOK    FIRST. 


CHAPTER   I. 

AIMLESS     STEPS. 

'  \  NOTHER  month's  work  will  knock  Morton 
Jr\.  into  'pi,'  "  was  a  remark  that  caught  my 
ear  as  I  fumed  from  the  composing-room  back  to 
my  private  office.  I  had  just  irately  blamed  a 
printer  for  a  blunder  of  my  own,  and  the  words  I 
overheard  reminded  me  of  the  unpleasant  truth 
that  I  had  recently  made  a  great  many  senseless 
blunders,  over  which  I  chafed  in  merciless  self- 
condemnation.  For  weeks  and  months  my  mind 
had  been  tense  under  the  strain  of  increasing 
work  and  responsibility.  It  was  my  nature  to  be 
come  absorbed  in  my  tasks,  and,  as  night  editor  of 
a  prominent  city  journal,  I  found  a  limitless  field 
for  labor.  It  was  true  I  could  have  jogged  along 
under  the  heavy  burden  with  comparatively  little 
wear  and  loss,  but,  impelled  by  both  temperament 
and  ambition,  I  was  trying  to  maintain  a  racer's 
speed.  From  casual  employment  as  a  reporter  I 
had  worked  my  way  up  to  my  present  position, 
and  the  tireless  activity  and  alertness  required  to 
win  and  hold  such  a  place  was  seemingly  degenerat 
ing  into  a  nervous  restlessness  which  permitted  no 
repose  of  mind  or  rest  of  body.  I  worked  when 
other  men  slept,  but,  instead  of  availing  myself  of 
the  right  to  sleep  when  the  world  was  awake,  I 
yielded  to  an  increasing  tendency  to  wakefulnees, 


14  A    DAY   OF  FA  TE. 

It  is  true  that  I  might  have  pleaded  in  extenua 
tion  of  these  rather  severe  judgments  that  I  was 
somewhat  alone  in  the  world,  living  in  bachelor 
apartments,  without  the  redeeming  influences  of 
home  and  family  life.  There  were  none  whose  love 
gave  them  the  right  or  the  motive  to  lay  a  restrain 
ing  hand  upon  me,  and  my  associates  in  labor  were 
more  inclined  to  applaud  my  zeal  than  to  curb  it. 
Thus  it  had  been  left  to  the  casual  remark  of  a 
nameless  printer  and  an  instance  of  my  own  failing 
powers,  to  break  the  spell  that  ambition  and  habit 
were  weaving. 

Before  the  half  hour  elapsed  I  felt  weak  and  ill. 
The  moment  I  relaxed  the  tension  and  will-power 
which  I  had  maintained  so  long,  strong  reaction  set 
in.  Apparently  I  had  about  reached  the  limits  of 
endurance.  I  felt  as  if  I  were  growing  old  and 
feeble  by  minutes  as  one  might  by  years.  Taking 
my  hat  and  coat  I  passed  out,  remarking  to  my  as 
sistant  that  he  must  do  the  best  he  could — that  I 
was  ill  and  would  not  return.  If  the  Journal  had 
never  appeared  again  I  could  not  then  have  written 
a  line  to  save  it,  or  read  another  proof. 

Saturday  morning  found  me  feverish,  unrefreshed, 
and  more  painfully  conscious  than  ever  that  I  was 
becoming  little  better  than  the  presses  on  which  the 
paper  was  printed.  Depression  inevitably  follows 
weariness  and  exhaustion,  and  one  could  scarcely 
take  a  more  gloomy  view  of  himself  than  I 
did. 

"  I  will  escape  from  this  city  as  if  it  were  Sodom," 
I  muttered,  "and  a  June  day  in  the  country  will 


AIMLESS   STEPS.  1 5 

reveal  whether  I  have  a  soul   for  anything  beyond 
the  wrangle  of  politics  and  the  world's  gossip." 

In  my  despondency  I  was  inclined  to  be  reckless, 
and  after  merely  writing  a  brief  note  to  my  editorial 
chief,  saying  that  I  had  broken  down  and  was  go 
ing  to  the  country,  I  started  almost  at  random. 
After  a  few  hours'  riding  I  wearied  of  the  cars,  .and 
left  them  at  a  small  village  whose  name  I  did  not 
care  to  inquire.  The  mountains  and  scenery  pleased 
me,  although  the  day  was  overcast  like  my  mind 
and  fortunes.  Having  found  a  quiet  inn  and  gone 
through  the  form  of  a  dinner,  I  sat  down  on  the 
porch  in  dreary  apathy. 

The  afternoon  aspect  of  the  village  street  seemed 
as  dull  and  devoid  of  interest  as  my  own  life  at  that 
hour,  and  in  fancy  I  saw  myself,  a  broken-down 
man,  lounging  away  days  that  would  be  like  eter 
nities,  going  through  my  little  round  like  a  bit  of 
driftwood,  slowly  circling  in  an  eddy  of  the  world's 
great  current.  With  lack-lustre  eyes  I  "  looked  up 
to  the  hills,"  but  no  "  help"  came  from  them.  The 
air  was  close,  the  sky  leaden  ;  even  the  birds  would 
not  sing.  Why  had  I  come  to  the  country  ?  It  had 
no  voices  for  me,  and  I  resolved  to  return  to  the 
city.  But  while  I  waited  my  eyes  grew  heavy  with 
the  blessed  power  to  sleep — a  boon  for  which  I  then 
felt  that  I  would  travel  to  the  Ultima  Thule.  Leav 
ing  orders  that  I  should  not  be  disturbed,  I  went  to 
my  room,  and  Nature  took  the  tired  man,  as  if  he 
were  a  weary  child,  into  her  arms. 

At  last  I  imagined  that  I  was  at  the  Acade 
my  of  Music,  and  that  the  orchestra  were  tun- 


l6  A   DAY  OF  FATE. 

ing  their  instruments  for  the  overture.  A  louder 
strain  than  usual  caused  me  to  start  up,  and  I  saw 
through  the  open  window  a  robin  on  a  maple  bough, 
with  its  tuneful  throat  swelled  to  the  utmost.  This 
was  the  leader  of  my  orchestra,  and  the  whole  coun 
try  was  alive  with  musicians,  each  one  giving  out 
his  own  notes  without  any  regard  for  the  others, 
but  apparently  the  score  had  been  written  for  them 
all,  since  the  innumerable  strains  made  one  divine 
harmony.  From  the  full-orbed  song  from  the 
maple  by  my  window,  down  to  the  faintest  chirp 
and  twitter,  there  was  no  discord  ;  while  from  the 
fields  beyond  the  village  the  whistle  of  the  meadow- 
larks  was  so  mellowed  and  softened  by  distance  as 
to  incline  one  to  wonder  whether  their  notes  were 
real  or  mere  ideals  of  sound. 

For  a  long  time  I  was  serenely  content  to  listen 
to  the  myriad-voiced  chords  without  thinking  of  the 
past  or  future.  At  last  I  found  myself  idly  query 
ing  whether  Nature  did  not  so  blend  all  out-of  door 
sounds  as  to  make  them  agreeable,  when  suddenly  a 
catbird  broke  the  spell  of  harmony  by  its  flat,  dis 
cordant  note.  Instead  of  my  wonted  irritation  at 
anything  that  jarred  upon  my  nerves,  I  laughed  as 
I  sprang  up,  saying, 

'  That  cry  reminds  me  that  I  am  in  the  body  and 
in  the  same  old  world.  That  bird  is  near  akin  to 
the  croaking  printer." 

But  my  cynicism  was  now  more  assumed  than 
real,  and  I  began  to  wonder  at  myself.  The  change 
of  air  and  scene  had  seemingly  broken  a  malign  in 
fluence,  and  sleep — that  for  weeks  had  almost  for- 


AIMLESS  STEPS.  17 

saken  me— had  yielded  its  deep  refreshment  for  fif 
teen  hours.  Besides,  I  had  not  sinned  against  my 
life  so  many  years  as  to  have  destroyed  the  elastic 
ity  of  early  manhood.  When  I  had  lain  down  to 
rest  I  had  felt  myself  to  be  a  weary,  broken,  aged 
man.  Had  I,  in  my  dreams,  discovered  the  Foun 
tain  of  Youth,  and  unconsciously  bathed  in  it  ?  In 
my  rebound  toward  health  of  mind  and  body  I 
seemed  to  have  realized  what  the  old  Spaniard 
vainly  hoped  for. 

I  dressed  in  haste,  eager  to  be  out  in  the  early 
June  sunshine.  There  had  been  a  shower  in  the 
night,  and  the  air  had  a  fine  exhilarating  quality,  in 
contrast  with  the  close  sultriness  of  the  previous 
afternoon. 

Instead  of  nibbling  at  a  breakfast  while  I  devoured 
the  morning  dailies,  I  ate  a  substantial  meal,  and 
only  thought  of  papers  to  bless  their  absence,  and 
then  walked  down  the  village  street  with  the  quick 
glad  tread  of  one  whose  hope  and  zest  in  life  have 
been  renewed.  Fragrant  June  roses  were  opening 
on  every  side,  and  it  appeared  to  me  that  all  the  sin 
of  man  could  not  make  the  world  offensive  to  heaven 
that  morning. 

I  wished  that  some  of  the  villagers  that  I  met 
were  more  in  accord  with  Nature's  mood  ;  but  in 
view  of  my  own  shortcomings,  and  still  more  be 
cause  of  my  fine  physical  condition,  I  was  disposed 
toward  a  large  charity.  And  yet  I  could  not  help 
wondering  how  some  that  I  saw  could  walk  among 
their  roses  and  still  look  so  glum  and  matter-of-fact. 
I  felt  as  if  I  could  kiss  every  velvet  petal. 


1 8  A   DAY  OF  FATE. 

"You  were  unjust,"  I  charged  back  on  Con 
science  ;  "  this  morning  proves  that  I  am  not  an 
ingrained  newsmonger.  There  is  still  man  enough 
left  \vithin  me  to  revive  at  Nature's  touch  ;"  and  I 
exultantly  quickened  my  steps  until  I  had  left  the 
village  miles  away. 

Before  the  morning  was  half  gone  I  learned  how 
much  of  my  old  vigor  had  ebbed,  for  I  was  growing 
weary  early  in  the  day.  Therefore  I  paused  before 
a  small  gray  building,  old  and  weather-stained,  that 
seemed  neither  a  barn,  nor  a  dwelling,  nor  a  school- 
house.  A  maji  was  in  the  act  of  unlocking  the  door, 
and  his  garb  suggested  that  it  might  be  a  Friends' 
meeting-house.  Yielding  to  an  idle  curiosity  I 
mounted  a  stone  wall  at  a  point  where  I  was  shaded 
and  partially  screened  by  a  tree,  and  watched  and 
waited,  beguiling  the  time  with  a  branch  of  sweet- 
brier  that  hung  over  my  resting-place. 

Soon  strong  open  wagons  and  rockaways  began 
to  appear,  drawn  by  sleek,  plump  horses  that  often, 
seemingly,  were  gayer  than  their  drivers.  Still 
there  was  nothing  sour  in  the  aspect  or  austere  in 
the  garb  of  the  people.  Their  quiet  appearance 
took  my  fancy  amazingly,  and  the  peach-like  bloom 
on  the  cheeks  of  even  well-advanced  matrons  sug 
gested  a  serene  and  quiet  life. 

'  These  are  the  people  of  all  others  with  whom  I 
would  like  to  worship  to-day,"  I  thought  ;  "  and  I 
hope  that  that  rotund  old  lady,  whose  face  beams 
under  the  shadow  of  her  deep  bonnet  like  a  harvest 
moon  through  a  fleecy  cloud,  will  feel  moved  to 
speak."  I  plucked  a  few  buds  from  the  sweet-brier 


AIMLESS  STEPS.  19 

bush,  fastened  them  in  my  button-hole,  and  prompt 
ly  followed  the  old  lady  into  the  meeting-house. 
Having  found  a  vacant  pew  I  sat  down,  and  looked 
around  with  serene  content.  But  I  soon  observed 
that  something  was  amiss,  for  the  men  folk  looked 
at  each  other  and  then  at  me.  At  last  an  elderly 
and  substantial  Friend,  with  a  face  so  flushed  and 
round  as  to  suggest  a  Baldwin  apple,  arose  and 
creaked  with  painful  distinctness  to  where  I  was  in 
nocently  infringing  on  one  of  their  customs. 

"  If  thee  will  follow  me,  friend,''  he  said,  "  I'll 
give  thee  a  seat  with  the  men  folks.  Thee's  welcome^ 
and  thee'll  feel  more  at  home  to  follow  our  ways." 

His  cordial  grasp  of  my  hand  wrould  have  dis 
armed  suspicion  itself,  and  I  followed  him  meekly. 
In  my  embarrassment  and  desire  to  show  that  I  had 
no  wish  to  appear  forward,  I  persisted  in  taking  a 
side  seat  next  to  the  wall,  and  quite  near  the  door  ; 
for  my  guide,  in  order  to  show  his  good-will  and  to 
atone  for  what  might  seem  rudeness,  was  bent  on 
marshalling  me  almost  up  to  the  high  seats  that 
faced  the  congregation,  where  sat  my  rubicund  old 
Friend  lady,  whose  aspect  betokened  that  she  had 
just  the  Gospel  message  I  needed. 

I  at  once  noted  that  these  staid  and  decorous 
people  looked  straight  before  them  in  an  attitude 
of  quiet  expectancy.  A  few  little  children  turned 
on  me  their  round,  curious  eyes,  but  no  one  else 
stared  at  the  blundering  stranger,  whose  modish 
coat,  v/ith  a  sprig  of  wild  roses  in  its  button-hole, 
made  him  rather  a  conspicuous  contrast  to  the  other 
men  folk,  and  I  thought— 


20  A   DA  Y  OF  FA  TE. 

'  Here  certainly  is  an  example  of  good-breeding 
which  could  scarcely  be  found  among  other  Chris 
tians.  If  one  of  these  Friends  should  appear  in  the 
most  fashionable  church  on  the  Avenue  he  would 
be  well  stared  at,  but  here  even  the  children  are  re 
ceiving  admonitory  nudges  not  to  look  at  me." 

I  soon  felt  that  it  was  not  the  thing  to  be  the 
only  one  who  was  irreverently  looking  around,  and 
my  good-fortune  soon  supplied  ample  motive  for 
looking  steadily  in  one  direction.  The  reader  may 
justly  think  that  I  should  have  composed  my  mind 
to  meditation  on  my  many  sins,  but  I  might  as  well 
have  tried  to  gather  in  my  hands  the  reins  of  all  the 
wild  horses  of  Arabia  as  to  curb  and  manage  my 
errant  thoughts.  My  only  chance  was  for  some  one 
or  something  to  catch  and  hold  them  for  me.  If 
that  old  Friend  lady  would  preach  I  was  sure  she 
would  do  me  good.  As  it  was,  her  face  was  an 
antidote  to  the  influences  of  the  world  in  which  I 
dwelt,  but  I  soon  began  to  dream  that  I  had  found 
a  still  better  remedy,  for,  at  a  fortunate  angle  from 
my  position,  there  sat  a  young  Quakeress  whose 
side  face  arrested  my  attention  and  held  it.  By 
leaning  a  little  against  the  wall  as  well  as  the  back 
of  my  bench,  I  also,  well  content,  could  look 
straight  before  me  like  the  others. 

The  fair  profile  was  but  slightly  hidden  by  a  hat 
that  had  a  perceptible  leaning  toward  the  world  in 
its  character,  but  the  brow  was  only  made  to  seem 
a  little  lower,  and  her  eyes  deepened  in  their  blue 
by  its  shadow.  My  sweet-brier  blossoms  were  not 
more  delicate  in  their  pink  shadings  than  was  the 


AIMLESS  STEPS.  21 

bloom  on  her  rounded  cheek,  and  the  white,  firm 
chin  denoted  an  absence  of  weakness  and  frivolity. 
The  upper  lip,  from  where  I  sat,  seemed  one  half 
of  Cupid's  bow.  I  could  but  barely  catch  a  glimpse 
of  a  ripple  of  hair  that,  perhaps,  had  not  been 
smoothed  with  sufficient  pains,  and  thus  seemed  in 
league  with  the  slightly  worldly  bonnet.  In  brief, 
to  my  kindled  fancy,  her  youth  and  loveliness  ap 
peared  the  exquisite  human  embodiment  of  the 
June  morning,  with  its  alternations  of  sunshine  and 
shadow,  its  roses  and  their  fragrance,  of  its  abound 
ing  yet  untarnished  and  beautiful  life. 

No  one  in  the  meeting  seemed  moved  save  my 
self,  but  I  felt  as  if  I  could  become  a  poet,  a  painter, 
and  even  a  lover,  under  the  inspiration  of  that 
perfect  profile. 


CHAPTER    II. 

A   JUNE   DAY-DREAM. 

MOMENT  after  moment  passed,  but  we  all  sat 
silent  and  motionless.  Through  the  open 
windows  came  a  low,  sweet  monotone  of  the  wind 
from  the  shadowing  maples,  sometimes  swelling 
into  a  great  depth  of  sound,  and  again  dying  to  a 
whisper,  and  the  effect  seemed  finer  than  that  of 
the  most  skilfully-touched  organ.  Occasionally  an 
irascible  humble-bee  would  dart  in,  and,  .after  a 
moment  of  motionless  poise,  would  dart  out  again, 
as  if  in  angry  disdain  of  the  quiet  people.  In  its 
irate  hum  and  sudden  dartings  I  saw  my  own  irrita 
ble  fuming  and  nervous  activity,  and  I  blessed  the 
Friends  and  their  silent  meeting.  I  blessed  the 
fair  June  face,  that  was  as  far  removed  from  the 
seething  turmoil  of  my  world  as  the  rosebuds  un 
der  her  home-windows. 

Surely  I  had  drifted  out  of  the  storm  into  the 
very  haven  of  rest  and  peace,  and  yet  one  might 
justly  dread  lest  the  beauty  which  bound  my  eyes 
every  moment  in  a  stronger  fascination  should  evoke 
an  unrest  from  which  there  might  be  no  haven. 
Young  men,  however,  rarely  shrink  from  such 
perils,  and  I  was  no  more  prudent  than  my  fellows. 
Indeed,  I  was  inclining  toward  the  fancy  that  this 
June  day  was  the  day  of  destiny  with  me  ;  and  if 
such  a  creature  were  the  remedy  for  my  misshapen 
life  it  would  be  bliss  to  take  it. 


A    JUNE   DA  Y-DREAM.  23 

In  our  sweet  silence,  broken  only  by  the  voice 
of  the  wind,  the  twitter  of  birds  beguiling  per 
haps,  with  pretty  nonsense  the  hours  that  would 
otherwise  seem  long  to  their  brooding  mates  on  the 
nests,  and  the  hum  of  insects,  my  fancy  began  to 
create  a  future  for  the  fair  stranger — a  future,  rest 
assured,  that  did  not  leave  the  dreamer  a  calm  and 
disinterested  observer. 

'  This  day,"  I  said  mentally,  "  proves  that  there 
is  a  kindly  and  superintending  Providence,  and 
men  are  often  led,  like  children  in  the  dark,  to  just 
the  thing  they  want.  The  wisdom  of  Solomon 
could  not  have  led  me  to  a  place  more  suited  to  my 
taste  and  need  than  have  my  blind,  aimless  steps  ; 
and  before  me  are  possibilities  which  suggest  the 
vista  through  which  Adam  might  have  approached 
Eve." 

My  constant  contact  with  men  who  were  keen, 
self-seeking,  and  often  unscrupulous,  inclined  me 
toward  cynicism  and  suspicion.  My  editorial  life 
made  me  an  Arab  in  a  sense,  for  if  there  were  occa 
sion,  my  hand  might  be  against  any  man,  if  not 
every  man.  I  certainly  received  many  merciless 
blows,  and  I  was  learning  to  return  them  with  in 
creasing  zest.  My  column  in  the  paper  was  often 
a  tilting-ground,  and  whether  or  no  I  inflicted 
wounds  that  amounted  to  much,  I  received  some 
that  long  rankled.  A  home  such  as  yonder  woman 
might  make  would  be  a  better  solace  than  news 
paper  files.  Such  lips  as  those  might  easily  draw 
the  poison  from  any  wound  the  world  could  make. 
Wintry  firelight  would  be  more  genial  than  even 


24  A    DA  Y   OF  FA  TE. 

June  sunlight,  if  her  eyes  would  reflect  it  into 
mine.  With  such  companionship,  all  the  Grad- 
grinds  in  existence  would  prose  in  vain  ;  life  would 
never  lose  its  ideality,  nor  the  world  become  a  mere 
combination  of  things.  Her  woman's  fancy  would 
embroider  my  man's  reason  and  make  it  beautiful, 
while  not  taking  from  its  strength.  Idiot  that  I 
was,  in  imagining  that  I  alone  could  achieve  suc 
cess  !  Inevitably  I  could  make  but  a  half  success, 
since  the  finer  and  feminine  element  would  be  want 
ing.  Do  I  wish  men  only  to  read  our  paper  ?  Am 
I  a  Turk,  holding  the  doctrine  that  women  have  no 
souls,  no  minds  ?  The  shade  of  my  mother  forbid  ! 
Then  how  was  I,  a  man,  to  interpret  the  world 
to  women  ?  Truly,  I  had  been  an  owl  of  the  night, 
and  blind  to  the  honest  light  of  truth  when  I  yielded 
to  the  counsel  of  ambition,  that  I  had  no  time  for 
courtship  and  marriage.  In  my  stupid  haste  I 
would  try  to  grope  my  way  through  subjects  be 
yond  a  man's  ken,  rather  than  seek  some  such  guide 
as  yonder  maiden,  whose  intuitions  would  be  uner 
ring  when  the  light  of  reason  failed.  In  theory,  I 
held  the  doctrine  that  there  was  sex  in  mind  as 
truly  as  in  the  material  form.  Now  I  was  inclined 
to  act  as  if  my  doctrine  were  true,  and  to  seek  to 
double  my  power  by  winning  the  supplemental 
strength  and  grace  of  a  woman's  soul. 

Indeed,  my  day-dream  was  becoming  exceedingly 
thrifty  in  its  character,  and  I  assured  ambition  that 
the  companionship  of  such  a  woman  as  yonder 
maiden  must  be  might  become  the  very  corner 
stone  of  success. 


A    yU.VE   DA  Y-DREAM.  25 

Time  passed,  and  still  no  one  was  "moved." 
Was  my  presence  the  cause  of  the  spiritual  paraly 
sis  ?  I  think  not,  for  I  was  becoming  conscious  of 
reverent  feeling  and  deeper  motives.  If  the  fair 
face  was  my  Gospel  message,  it  was  already  leading 
me  beyond  the  thoughts  of  success  and  ambition, 
of  mental  power  and  artistic  grace.  Her  womanly 
beauty  began  to  awaken  my  moral  nature,  and  her 
pure  face,  that  looked  as  free  from  guile  as  any  daisy 
with  its  eye  turned  to  the  sun,  led  me  to  ask,  "  What 
right  have  you  to  approach  such  a  creature  ?  Think 
of  her  needs,  of  her  being  first,  and  not  your  own. 
Would  you  drag  her  into  the  turmoil  of  your  world 
because  she  would  be  a  solace  ?  Would  you  dis 
turb  the  maidenly  serenity  of  that  brow  with  knowl 
edge  of  evil  and  misery,  the  nightly  record  of  which 
you  have  collated  so  long  that  you  are  callous  ? 
You,  whose  business  it  is  to  look  behind  the  scenes 
of  life,  will  you  disenchant  her  also  ?  It  is  your 
duty  to  unmask  hypocrisy,  and  to  drag  hidden  evil 
to  light,  but  will  you  teach  her  to  suspect  and  dis 
trust  ?  Should  you  not  yourself  become  a  better, 
truer,  purer  man  before  you  look  into  the  clear 
depths  of  her  blue  eyes  ?  Beware,  lest  thought 
lessly  or  selfishly  you  sully  their  limpid  truth." 

"  If  she  could  be  God's  evangel  to  me,  I  might 
indeed  be  a  better  man,"  I  murmured. 

1  That  is  ever  the  way,"  suggested  Conscience  ; 
11  there  is  always  an  '  if  '  in  the  path  of  duty  ;  and 
you  make  your  change  for  the  better  dependent  on 
the  remote  possibility  that  yonder  maiden  will  ever 
look  on  you  as  other  than  a  casual  stranger  that 


26  A    DAY  OF  FA  TE. 

caused  a  slight  disturbance  in  the  wonted  placidity 
of  their  meeting  hour." 

"Hush,"  I  answered  Conscience,  imperiously; 
"  since  the  old  Friend  lady  will  not  preach,  I  shall 
endure  none  of  your  homilies.  I  yield  myself  to 
the  influences  of  this  day,  and  during  this  hour  no 
curb  shall  be  put  on  fancy.  In  my  soul  I  know 
that  I  would  be  a  better  man  if  she  is  what  she 
seems,  and  could  be  to  me  all  that  I  have  dreamed  ; 
and  were  I  tenfold  worse  than  I  am,  she  would  be 
the  better  for  making  me  better.  Did  not  Divine 
purity  come  the  closest  to  sinful  humanity  ?  I  shall 
approach  this  maiden  in  fancy,  and  may  seek  her  in 
reality,  but  it  shall  be  with  a  respect  so  sincere  and 
an  homage  so  true  as  to  rob  my  thoughts  and  quest 
of  bold  irreverence  or  of  mere  selfishness.  Suppose 
I  am  seeking  my  own  good,  my  own  salvation  it 
may  be,  I  am  not  seeking  to  wrong  her.  Are  not 
heaven's  best  gifts  best  won  by  giving  all  for  them? 
I  would  lay  my  manhood  at  her  feet.  I  do  not  ex 
pect  to  earn  her  or  buy  her,  giving  a  quid  pro  quo. 
A  woman's  love  is  like  the  grace  of  heaven — a 
royal  gift  ;  and  the  spirit  of  the  suitor  is  more  re 
garded  than  his  desert.  Moreover,  I  do  not  pro 
pose  to  soil  her  life  with  the  evil  world  that  I  must 
daily  brush  against,  but  through  her  influence  to  do 
a  little  toward  purifying  that  world.  Since  this  is 
but  a  dream,  I  shall  dream,  it  out  to  suit  me. 

'  That  stalwart  and  elderly  Friend  who  led  me 
to  this  choice  point  of  observation  is  her  father. 
The  plump  and  motherly  matron  on  the  high  seat, 
whose  face  alone  is  a  remedy  for  care  and  worry,  is 


A    JUNE  DA  Y- DREAM.  27 

her  mother.  They  will  invite  me  home  with  them 
when  meeting  is  over.  Already  I  see  the  tree- 
embowered  farmhouse.,  with  its  low,  wide  veranda, 
and  old-fashioned  roses  climbing  the  lattice-work. 
In  such  a  fragrant  nook,  or  perhaps  in  the  orchard 
back  of  the  house,  I  shall  explore  the  wonderland 
of  this  maiden's  mind  and  heart.  Beyond  the  in 
nate  reserve  of  an  unsophisticated  womanly  nature 
there  will  be  little  reticence,  and  her  thoughts  will 
flow  with  the  clearness  and  unpremeditation  of  the 
brook  that  I  crossed  on  my  way  here.  What  a 
'change  they  will  be  from  the  world's  blotted  page 
that  I  have  read  too  exclusively  of  late  ! 

'  Perhaps  it  will  appear  to  her  that  I  have  be 
come  smirched  by  these  pages,  and  that  my  charac 
ter  has  the  aspect  of  a  printer  at  the  -close  of  his 
day's  tasks, 

'  This  source  of  fear,  however,  is  also  a  source 
of  hope.  If  she  has  the  quickness  of  intuition  to  dis 
cover  that  I  know  the  world  too  well,  she  will  also 
discern  the  truth  that  I  would  gladly  escape  from 
that  which  might  eventually  destroy  my  better  na 
ture,  and  that  hers  could  be  the  hand  which  might 
rescue  my  manhood.  To  the  degree  that  she  is  a 
•genuine  woman  there  will  be  fascination  in  the 
power  of  making  a  man  more  manly  and  worthy  of 
respect.  Especially  will  this  be  true  if  I  have  the 
supreme  good-fortune  not  to  offend  her  woman's 
fancy,  and  to  excite  her  sympathy  without  awaken 
ing  contempt. 

"  But  I  imagine  1  am  giving  her  credit  for  more 
maturity  of  thought  and  discernment  than  her  years 


28  A   DAY  OF  FATE. 

permit.  She  must  be  young,  and  her  experiences 
would  give  her  no  means  of  understanding"  my  life. 
She  v/ill  look  at  me  with  the  frank,  unsuspecting 
gaze  of  a  child.  She  will  exercise  toward  me  that 
blessed  phase  of  charity  which  thinketh  no  evil 
because  ignorant  of  evil. 

"  Moreover,  while  I  am  familiar  with  the  sin  of 
the  world,  and  have  contributed  my  share  toward  it, 
I  am  not  in  love  with  it  ;  and  I  can  well  believe  that 
such  a  love  as  she  might  inspire  would  cause  me  to 
detest  it.  If  for  her  sake  and  other  good  motives, 
I  should  resolutely  and  voluntarily  turn  my  back 
on  evil,  would  I  not  have  the  right  to  walk  at  the 
side  of  one  who,  by  the  goodhap  of  her  life,  knows 
no  evil  ?  At  any  rate,  I  am  not  sufficiently  mag 
nanimous  to  forego  the  opportunity  should  it  occur, 
Therefore,  among  the  lengthening  shadows  of  this 
June  day  I  shall  woo  with  my  utmost  skill  one  who 
may  be  able  to  banish  the  deeper  shadows  that  are 
gathering  around  my  life  ;  and  if  I  fail  I  shall  carry 
the  truth  of  her  spring-time  beauty  and  girlish  in 
nocence  back  to  the  city,  and  their  memory  will 
daily  warn  me  to  beware  lest  I  lose  the  power  to 
love  and  appreciate  that  which  is  her  pre-eminent 
charm. 

'*  But  enough  of  that  phase  of  the  question. 
There  need  be  no  failure  in  my  dream,  however 
probable  failure  may  be  in  reality.  Let  me  imagine 
that  in  her  lovely  face  I  may  detect  the  slight  curi 
osity  inspired  by  a  stranger  passing  into  interest. 
She  will  be  shy  and  reserved  at  first  ;  but  as  the 
delicious  sense  of  being  understood  and  admired 


A    JUXE   DA  Y-DKEAM.  29 

gains  mastery,  her  thoughts  will  gradually  reveal 
her  heart  like  the  opening  petals  of  a  rose,  and  I 
can  reverently  gaze  upon  the  rich  treasures  of  which 
she  is  the  unconscious  possessor,  and  which  I  may 
win  without  impoverishing  her. 

Her  ready  laugh,  clear  and  mellow  as  the  rob 
in's  song  that  woke  me  this  morning,  will  be  the 
index  of  an  unfailing  spring  of  mirthfulness  —  of 
that  breezy,  piquant,  laughing  philosophy  which 
gives  to  some  women  an  indescribable  charm,  en 
abling  them  to  render  gloom  and  despondency  rare 
inmates  of  the  home  over  which  they  preside. 
When  I  recall  what  dark  depths  of  perplexity  and 
trouble  my  mother  often  hid  with  her  light  laugh,  I 
remember  that  I  have  never  yet  had  a  chance  even 
to  approach  her  in  heroism.  In  my  dream,  at  least, 
I  can  give  to  my  wife  my  mother's  laugh  and  cour 
age  -,  and  surely  Nature,  who  has  endowed  yonder 
maiden  with  so  much  beauty,  has  also  bestowed 
every  suitable  accompaniment.  Wherefore  I  shall 
discover  in  her  eyes  treasures  of  sunshine  that  shall 
light  my  home  on  stormy  days  and  winter  nights. 

"  As  I  vary  our  theme  of  talk  from  bright  to  sad 
experiences,  I  shall  catch  a  glimpse  of  that  without 
which  the  world  would  become  a  desert — woman's 
sympathy.  Possibly  I  may  venture  to  suggest  my 
own  need,  and  emphasize  it  by  a  reference  to  Holy 
Writ.  That  would  be  appropriate  in  a  Sunday 
wooing.  Surely  she  would  admit  that  if  Adam 
could  not  endure  being  alone  in  Eden,  a  like  fate 
would  be  far  more  deserving  of  pity  in  such  a  wil 
derness  as  New  York. 


30  A  DA  Y  OF  FA  TE\ 

"  Then,  as  a  sequel  to  her  sympathy,  I  may  wit 
ness  the  awakening  of  that  noble  characteristic  of 
woman  —  self-sacrifice  —  the  generous  impulse  to 
give  happiness,  even  though  at  cost  to  self. 

"  As  the  winged  hours  pass,  and  our  glances,  our 
words,  our  intuitions,  and  the  subtle  laws  of  mag 
netism  that  are  so  powerful,  and  yet  so  utterly  be 
yond  the  ken  of  reason,  reveal  us  to  each  other,  I 
detect  in  the  depths  of  her  blue  eyes  a  light  which 
vanishes  when  I  seek  it,  but  returns  again — a  prin 
ciple  which  she  does  not  even  recognize,  much  less 
understand,  and  yet  which  she  already  uncon 
sciously  obeys.  Her  looks  are  less,  frank  and  open, 
her  manner  grows  deliciously  shy,  she  hesitates  and 
chooses  her  words,  but  is  not  so  happy  in  their 
choice  as  when  she  spoke  without  premeditation. 
Instead  of  the  wonted  bloom  on  her  cheek  her  color 
comes  and  goes.  Oh,  most  exquisite  phase  of  hu 
man  poAver  1  I  control  the  fountain  of  her  life  ; 
and  by  an  act,  a  word,  a  glance  even,  can  cause  the 
crimson  tide  to  rise  even  to  iier  brow,  and  then 
to  ebb,  leaving  her  sad  and  pale.  Joy  [  joy  !.  I 
have  won  that  out  of  which  can  be  created  the 
best  thing  of  earth,  and  the  type  of  heaven — a 
home  1" 

At  this  supreme  moment  in  my  day-dream,  an 
elderly  Friend  on  the  high  seat  gave  his  hand  to  an 
other  white-haired  man  who  had,  for  the  last  hour, 
leaned  his  chin  on  his  stout  cane,  and  meditated 
under  the  shadow  of  his  broad-brimmed  hat,  and 
our  silent  meeting  was  over.  The  possessor  of  the 
exquisite  profile  who  had  led  me  through  a  flight  of 


A   JUNE   DA  Y- DREAM.  31 

romance  such  as  I  had  never  known  before,  turned 
and  looked  directly  at  me. 

The  breaking  of  my  dream  had  been  too  sudden, 
and  I  had  been  caught  too  high  up  to  alight  again 
on  the  solid  ground  of  reality  with  ease  and  grace. 
The  night-editor  blushed  like  a  school-girl  under  her 
glance,  at  which  she  seemed  naturally  surprised. 
She,  of  course,  could  imagine  no  reason  why  her 
brief  look  of  curiosity  should  cause  me  confusion 
and  bring  a  guilty  crimson  to  my  face.  I  took  it  as 
a  good  omen,  however,  and  said  mentally,  as  I 
passed  out  with  the  others, 

My  thoughts  have  already  established  a  subtle 
influence  over  her,  drawing  her  eyes  and  the  first 
delicate  tendril  of  interest  toward  one  to  whom  she 
may  cling  for  life. " 


CHAPTER    III. 

A    SHINING    TIDE. 

AS  I  was  strenuously  seeking  to  gain  possession 
of  my  wits,  so  that  I  could  avail  myself  of  any 
opportunity  that  offered,  or  could  be  made  by  ad 
roit,  prompt  action,  the  stalwart  and  elderly  Friend, 
who  had  seemed  thus  far  one  of  the  ministers  of  my 
impending  fate,  again  took  my  hand  and  said, 

'  I  hope  thee'll  forgive  me  for  asking  thee  to 
conform  to  our  ways,  and  not  think  any  rudeness 
was  meant." 

'  The  grasp  of  your  hand  at  once  taught  me  that 
you  were  friendly  as  well  as  a  Friend,"  I  replied. 

'  We  should  not  belie  our  name,  truly.  I  fear 
thee  did  not  enjoy  our  silent  meeting  ?" 

'  You  are  mistaken,  sir.  It  was  just  the  meet 
ing  which,  as  a  weary  man,  I  needed." 

"  I  hope  thee  wasn't  asleep?"  he  said,  with  a 
humorous  twinkle  in  his  honest  blue  eyes. 

'  You  are  quite  mistaken  again,"  I  answered, 
smiling  ;  but  I  should  have  been  in  a  dilemma  had 
he  asked  me  if  I  had  been  dreaming;. 

o 

'  Thee's  a  stranger  in  these  parts,"  he  continued, 
in  a  manner  that  suggested  kindness  rather  than 
curiosity. 

:<  Possibly  this  is  the  day  of  my  fate,"  I  thought, 
"and  this  man  the  father  of  my  ideal  woman." 
And  I  decided  to  angle  with  my  utmost  skill  for  an 
invitation. 


A   SHIXIXG    TIDE.  33 

'  You  are  correct,"  I  replied,  "  and  I  much  re 
gret  that  I  have  wandered  so  far  from  my  hotel,  for 
I  am  not  strong. " 

'  Weil,  thee  may  have  good  cause  to  be  sorry, 
though  we  do  our  best  ;  but  if  thee's  willing  to  put 
up  with  homely  fare  and  homely  people,  thee's  wel 
come  to  come  home  with  us. '! 

Seeing  eager  acquiescence  in  my  face,  he  continu 
ed,  without  giving  me  time  to  reply,  "  Here,  mother, 
thee  always  provides  enough  for  one  more.  We'll 
have  a  stranger  within  our  gates  to-day,  perhaps." 

To  my  joy  the  Friend  lady,  with  a  face  like  a 
benediction,  turned  at  his  words.  At  the  same 
moment  a  large,  three-seated  rockaway,  with  a  ruddy 
boy  as  driver,  drew  up  against  the  adjacent  horse 
block,  while  the  fair  unknown,  who  had  stood 
among  a  bevy  of  young  Quakeresses  like  a  tall  lily 
among  lesser  flowers,  came  toward  us  holding  a  lit 
tle  girl  by  the  hand.  The  family  group  was  draw 
ing  together  according  to  my  prophetic  fancy,  and 
my  heart  beat  thick  and  fast.  Truly  this  was  the 
day  of  fate  I 

"  Homely  people"  indeed  \  and  what  cared  I  for 
"  fare"  in  the  very  hour  of  destiny  \ 

"  Mother,"  he  said,  with  his  humorous  twinkle, 
"  I'm  bent  on  making  amends  to  this  stranger  who 
seemed  to  have  a  drawing  toward  thy  side  of  the 
house.  Thee  didn't  give  him  any  spiritual  fare  in 
the  meeting-house,  but  I  think  thee'll  do  better  by 
him  at  the  farmhouse.  When  I  tell  thee  that  he 
is  not  well  and  a  long  way  from  home,  thee'll  give 
him  a  welcome." 


34  A  DA  Y   OF  FA  TE. 

"  Indeed,  sir,"  said  the  old  lady,  taking  my  hand 
in  her  soft,  plump  palm,  while  her  face  fairly  beamed 
with  kindliness;  "  it  would  be  a  poor  faith  that 
did  not  teach  us  our  duty  toward  the  stranger  ; 
and,  if  I  mistake  not,  thee'll  change  our  duty  into 
a  pleasure. " 

"  Do  not  hope  to  entertain  an  angel,"  I  said. 

*  That's  well,"  the  old  gentleman  put  in  ;  "  our 
dinner  will  be  rather  too  plain  and  substantial  for 
angels'  fare.  I  think  thee'll  be  the  better  for  it 
though." 

I  am  the  better  already  for  your  most  unex 
pected  kindness,  which  I  now  gratefully  accept  as  a 
stranger.  I  hope,  however,  that  I  may  be  able  to 
win  a  more  definite  and  personal  regard  ;"  and  I 
handed  the  old  gentleman  my  card. 

"  Richard  Morton  is  thy  name,  then.  I'll  place 
thee  beside  Ruth  Yocomb,  my  W7ife.  Come,  moth 
er,  we're  keeping  Friend  Jones's  team  from  the 
block.  My  name  is  Thomas  Yocomb.  No,  no, 
take  the  back  seat  by  my  wife.  She  may  preach  to 
thee  a  little  going  home.  Drive  on,  Reuben,"  he 
added,  as  he  and  his  two  daughters  stepped  quickly 
in,  "  and  give  Friend  Jones  a  chance.  This  is  Adah 
Yocomb,  my  daughter,  and  this  is  little  Zillah. 
Mother  thought  that  since  the  two  names  went  to 
gether  in  Scripture  they  ought  to  go  together  cut 
of  it,  and  I  am  the  last  man  in  the  world  to  go 
against  the  Scripture.  That's  Reuben  Yocomb 
driving.  Now  thee  knows  all  the  family,  and  I 
hope  thee  don't  feel  as  much  of  a  stranger  as  thee 
did  ;"  and  the  hearty  old  man  turned  and  beamed 


A   SIIIXIXG    TIDE,  35 

on  me  with  a  good-will  that  I  felt  to  be  as  warm  and 
genuine  as  the  June  sunshine. 

'  To  be  frank,"  I  exclaimed,  "  I  am  at  a  loss  to 
understand  your  kindness.  In  the  city  we  are  sus 
picious  of  strangers  and  stand  aloof  from  them  ;  but 
you  treat  me  as  if  I  had  brought  a  cordial  letter  of 
introduction  from  one  you  esteemed  highly." 

"  So  thee  has,  so  thee  has  ;  only  the  letter  came 
before  thee  did.  *  Be  not  forgetful  to  entertain 
strangers  '  —  that's  the  way  it  reads,  doesn't  it, 
mother  ?" 

"  Moreover,  Richard  Morton,"  his  wife  added, 
*'  thee  has  voluntarily  come  among  us,  and  sat 
down  with  us  for  a  quiet  hour.  Little  claim  to  the 
faith  of  Abraham  could  we  have  should  we  let  thee 
wander  off  to  get  thy  dinner  with  the  birds  in  the 
woods,  for  the  village  is  miles  away." 

"  Mother'll  make  amends  to  thee  for  the  silent 
meeting,"  said  Mr.  Yocomb,  looking  around  with 
an  impressive  nod. 

"  I  trust  she  will,"  I  replied,  "  I  wanted  to  hear 
her  preach.  It  was  her  kindly  face  that  led  to  my 
blunder,  for  it  so  attracted  me  from  my  perch  of 
observation  on  the  wall  that  I  acted  on  my  im 
pulse  and  followed  her  into  the  meeting-house,  feel 
ing  in  advance  that  I  had  found  a  friend." 

Well,  I  guess  thee  has,  one  of  the  old  school," 
laughed  her  husband. 

The  daughter,  Adah,  turned  and  looked  at  me, 
while  she  smiled  approvingly.  Oh,  blessed  day  of 
destiny  !  When  did  dream  and  reality  so  keep  pace 
before  ?  Was  I  not  dreaming  still,  and  imagining 


36  A  DA  \ "   OF  FA  TE. 

everything  to  suit  my  own  fancy  ?  When  would  the 
perverse  world  begin  to  assert  itself  ? 

Sitting  just  before  me,  on  the  next  seat,  so  that  I 
could  often  see  the  same  perfect  profile,  was  the 
maiden  that  I  had  already  wooed  and  won  in  fancy. 
Though  she  was  so  near,  and  in  the  full  sunlight, 
I  could  detect  no  cloudiness  in  her  exquisite  com 
plexion,  nor  discover  a  fault  in  her  rounded  form. 
The  slope  of  her  shoulders  was  grace  itself.  She 
did  not  lean  back  weakly  or  languidly,  but  sat  erect, 
with  the  quiet,  easy  poise  of  vigor  and  health.  Her 
smile  was  frank  and  friendly,  and  yet  not  as  enchant 
ing  as  I  expected.  It  was  an  affair  of  facial  muscles 
rather  than  the  lighting  up  of  the  entire  visage. 
Nor  did  her  full  face — now  that  my  confusion  had 
passed  away  and  I  was  capable  of  close  observation 
— give  the  same  vivid 'impression  of  beauty  made 
by  her  profile,  It  was  pretty,  very  pretty,  but  for 
some  reasons  disappointing.  Then  I  smiled  at  my 
half-conscious  criticism,  and  thought,  "  You  have 
imagined  a  creature  of  unearthly  perfection,  and 
expect  your  impossible  ideal  to  be  realized.  Were 
she  all  that  you  have  dreamed,  she  would  be  much 
too  fine  for  an  ordinary  mortal  like  yourself.  In  her 
richr  unperverted  womanly  nature  you  will  find 
the  beauty  that  will  outlast  that  of  form  and 
feature/' 

"  I  fear  thce  found  our  silent  meeting  long  and 
tedious/'  said  Mrs.  Yocomb,  deprecatingly. 

"  I  assure  you  I  did  not,"  I  replied,  "  though  I 
hoped  you  would  have  a  message  for  us." 

"-It   was  net  given    to    me,"    she   said   meekly,. 


A   iH/NIXG    TIDE.  37 

Then  she  added,  "  Those  not  used  to  our  ways  are 
troubled,  perhaps,  with  wandering  thoughts  during 
these  silent  hours." 

"  I  was  not  to-day,"  I  replied  with  bowed  head  ; 
"  I  found  a  subject  that  held  mine." 

"  I'm  glad,"  she  said,  her  face  kindling  with 
pleasure.  "  May  I  ask  the  nature  of  the  truth  that 
held  thy  meditations?" 

"  Perhaps  I  will  tell  you  some  time,"  I  answered 
hesitatingly  ;  then  added  reverently,  "  It  was  of  a, 
very  sacred  nature." 

"  Thee's  right,"  she  said,  gravely.  "  Far  be  it 
from  me  to  wish  to  look  curiously  upon  thy  soul's 
communion. " 

For  a  moment  I  felt  guilty  that  I  should  have  so 
misled  her,  but  reassured  myself  with  the  thought, 

That  which  I  dwelt  upon  was  as  sacred  to  me  as 
my  mother's  memory." 

I  changed  the  subject,  and  sought  by  every 
means  in  my  power  to  lead  her  to  talk,  for  thus,  I 
thought,  I  shall  learn  the  full  source  of  womanly  life 
from  which  the  peerless  daughter  has  drawn  her 
nature. 

The  kind  old  lady  needed  but  little  incentive. 
Her  thoughts  flowed  freely  in  a  quaint,  sweet  ver 
nacular  that  savored  of  the  meeting-house.  I  was 
both  interested  and  charmed,  and  as  we  rode  at  a 
quiet  jog  through  the  June  sunlight  felt  that  I  was 
in  the  hands  of  a  kindly  fate  that,  in  accordance 
with  the  old  fairytales,  was  bent  on  giving  one  poor 
mortal  all  he  desired. 

At  last,  on  a  hillside  sloping  to  the  south,  I    saw 


3$  A  DA  Y   OF  FA  TE. 

the  farm-house  of  my  dream.  Two  tall  honey  lo 
custs  stood  like  faithful  guardians  on  each  side  of 
the  porch.  An  elm  drooped  over  the  farther  end 
of  the  piazza.  In  the  dooryard  the  foliage  of  two 
great  silver  poplar  or  aspen  trees  fluttered  perpet 
ually  with  its  light  sheen.  A  maple  towered  high 
behind  the  house,  and  a  brook  that  ran  not  far  away 
was  shadowed  by  a  weeping  willow.  Other  trees 
were  grouped  here  and  there  as  if  Nature  had 
planted  them,  and  up  one  a  wild  grape-vine  clam 
bered,  its  unobtrusive  blossoms  filling  the  air  with 
a  fragrance  more  delicious  even,  than  that  of  the  old- 
fashioned  roses  which  abounded  everywhere. 

1  Was  there  ever  a  sweeter  nook?"  I  thought, 
as  I  stepped  out  on  the  wide  horse-block  and  gave 
my  hand  to  one  who  seemed  the  beautiful  culmina 
tion  of  the  scene.  Miss  Adah  needed  but  little 
assistance  to  alight,  but  she  took  my  hand  in  hers, 
which  she  had  ungloved  as  she  approached  her 
home.  It  was  her  mother's  soft,  plump  hand, 
but  unmarked,  as  yet,  by  years  of  toil.  I  forgot 
we  were  such  entire  strangers,  and  under  the  im 
pulse  of  my  fancy  clasped  it  a  trifle  warmly,  at 
which  she  gave  me  a  look  of  slight  surprise,  thus 
suggesting  that  there  was  no  occasion  for  the  act. 

'  You  are  mistaken,"  I  mentally  responded  ; 
"  there  is  more  occasion  than  you  imagine  ;  more 
than  I  may  dare  to  tell  you  for  a  long  time  to 
come. " 

A  lady  who  had  been  sitting  on  the  piazza,  disap 
peared  within  the  house,  and  Adah  followed  her. 
"  Now,  mother,"  said  Mr.  Yocomb,  "  since  thee 


A   SHINING    TIDE.  39 

did  so  little  for  friend  Morton's  spiritual  man,  see 
\vhat  thee  can  do  for  the  temporal.  I'll  take  the 
high  seat  this  time,  and  can  tell  thee  beforehand 
that  there'll  be  no  silent  meeting." 

"  Father  may  seem  to  thee  a  little  irreverent,  but 
he  doesn't  mean  to  be.  It's  his  way,"  said  his  wife, 
with  a  smile.  ;i  If  thee'll  come  with  me  I'll  show 
thee  to  a  room  where  thee  can  rest  and  prepare  for 
dinner." 

I  followed  her  through  a  wide  hall  to  a  stairway 
that  changed  its  mind  when  half-way  up  and  turned 
in  an  opposite  direction.  l<  It  suggests  the  freedom 
and  unconventionally  of  this  home,"  I  thought, 
yielding  to  my  mood  to  idealize  everything. 

"  This  is  thy  room  as  long  as  thee'll  be  pleased 
to  stay  with  us,"  she  said,  with  a  genial  smile,  and 
her  ample  form  vanished  from  the  doorway. 

I  was  glad  to  be  alone.  The  shining  tide  of 
events  was  bearing  me  almost  too  swiftly.  "Can  this 
be  even  the  beginning  of  true  love,  since  it  runs  so 
smoothly?"  I  queried.  And  yet  it  had  all  come 
about  so  simply  and  naturally,  and  for  everything 
there  was  such  adequate  cause  and  rational  explana 
tion,  that  I  assured  myself  that  I  had  reason  for 
self-congratulation  rather  than  wonder. 

Having  seen  such  a  maiden,  it  would  be  strange 
indeed  if  I  had  not  been  struck  by  her  beauty. 
With  an  hour  on  my  hands,  and  thoughts  that  called 
no  one  master,  it  would  have  been  stranger  still  if  I 
had  not  been  beguiled  into  a  dream  which,  in  my 
need,  promised  so  much  that  I  was  now  bent  on  its 
fulfilment.  Kind  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Yocomb  had  bv.t 


4°  A  DA  Y   01'    1'A  TE. 

carried  out  the  teachings  of  their  faith,  and  thus  I 
was  within  the  home  of  one  who,  developing  under 
the  influences  of  such  a  mother  and  such  surround 
ings,  v:ould  have  the  power  beyond  most  other 
women  of  creating  another  home.  I  naturally 
thought  that  here,  in  this  lovely  and  sheltered  spot, 
and  under  just  the  conditions  that  existed,  might  be 
perfected  the  simple,  natural  flower  of  womanhood 
that  the  necessities  of  my  life  and  character  required. 

I  was  too  eager  to  prove  my  theories,  and  too 
strongly  under  the  presentiment  that  my  hour  of 
destiny  had  come,  to  rest,  and  so  gladly  welcomed 
the  tinkle  of  the  dinner-bell. 

The  apparent  mistress  of  my  fate  had  not  dimin 
ished  her  unconscious  power  by  exchanging  her 
Sunday-morning  costume  for  a  light  muslin, 
that  revealed  more  of  her  white  throat  than  the 
strict  canons  of  her  sect  would  warrant  perhaps, 
but  none  too  much  for  maidenly  modesty  and  artis 
tic  effect.  Indeed,  the  gown  harmonized  with  her 
somewhat  worldly  hat.  I  regarded  these  tendencies 
as  good  omens,  however,  felicitating  myself  with  the 
thought  that  while  her  Quaker  antecedents  would 
always  give  to  her  manner  and  garb  a  beautiful  sim 
plicity,  they  would  not  trammel  her  taste  with  ar 
bitrary  custom.  Though  now  more  clearly  satisfied 
that  the  beauty  of  her  full  face  by  no  means  equalled 
that  of  her  profile,  I  was  still  far  more  than  content 
with  a  perfection  of  features  that  sustained  a  rigor 
ous  scrutiny. 

"  Richard  Morton,"  said  Mrs.  Yocomb,  "  let  me 
make  thee  acquainted  with  Emily  Warren." 


A   SHI.VIXG    TIDE.  41 

I  turned  and  bowed  to  a  young  woman,  who 
seemed  very  colorless  and  unattractive  to  my  brief 
glance,  compared  with  the  radiant  creature  opposite 
me.  It  would  appear  that  I  made  no  very  marked 
impression  on  her  either,  for  she  chatted  with  little 
Zillah,  who  sat  beyond  her,  and  with  Reuben 
across  the  table,  making  no  effort  to  secure  my  at 
tention. 

If  Mrs.  Yocomb's  powers  as  a  spiritual  provider 
were  indicated  by  the  table  she  had  spread  for  us, 
the  old  meeting  -  house  should  be  crowded  every 
Sunday,  on  the  bare  possibility  that  she  might  speak. 
From  the  huge  plate  of  roast-beef  before  her  hus 
band  to  the  dainty  dish  of  wild  strawberries  on  the 
sideboard,  all  was  appetizing,  and  although  it  -was 
the  day  of  my  destiny,  I  found  myself  making  a 
hearty  meal.  My  beautiful  vis-a-vis  evidently  had 
no  thoughts  of  destiny,  and  proved  that  the  rich 
blood  which  mantled  her  cheeks  had  an  abundant 
and  healthful  source.  I  liked  that  too.  '  There 
is  no  sentimental  nonsense  about  her,"  I  thought, 
"  and  her  views  of  life  will  never  be  dyspeptic." 

I  longed  to  hear  her  talk,  and  yet  was  pleased 
that  she  was  not  garrulous.  Her  father  evidently 
thought  that  this  was  his  hour  and  opportunity,  and 
he  seasoned  the  ample  repast  with  not  a  little 
homely  wit  and  humor,  in  which  his  wife  would 
sometimes  join,  and  again  curb  and  deprecate. 

I  began  to  grow  disappointed  that  the  daughter 
did  not  manifest  some  of  her  mother's  quaint  and 
genial  good  sense,  or  some  sparkle  and  piquancy  that 
\\ouJd  correspond  to  her  father's  humor  ;  but  the 


4-'  .4  DA  Y   OF  FA  TE. 

few  remarks  .she  made  had  reference  chiefly  to  the 
people  at  the  meeting,  and  verged  toward  small 
gossip. 

I  broached  several  subjects  which  I  thought  might 
interest  her,  but  could  obtain  little  other  response 
than  "  Yes,"  with  a  faint  rising  inflection.  After 
one  of  these  unsuccessful  attempts  I  detected  a 
slight,  peculiar  smile  on  Miss  Warren's  face.  It 
was  a  mischievous  light  in  her  dark  eyes  more  than 
anything  else.  As  she  met  my  puzzled  look  it  van 
ished  instantly,  and  she  turned  away.  Everything 
in  my  training  and  calling  stimulated  alertness,  and 
I  knew  that  smile  was  i.t  my  expense.  Why  was 
she  laughing  at  me  ?  Had  she,  by  an  intuition, 
divined  my  attitude  of  mind  ?  A  plague  on 
woman's  intuitions  !  What  man  is  safe  a  moment? 

But  this  could  scarcely  be,  for  the  one  toward 
whom  my  thoughts  had  flown  for  the  last  three 
hours,  and  on  whom  I  had  bent  glances  that  did 
her  royal  homage,  was  serenely  unconscious  of  my 
interest,  or  else  supremely  indifferent  to  it.  She 
did  not  seem  unfriendly,  and  I  imagined  that  she 
harbored  some  curiosity  in  legard  to  me.  My 
dress,  manner,  and  some  slight  personal  allusions 
secured  far  more  attention  than  any  abstract  topic 
I  could  introduce.  Her  lips,  however,  were  so 
exquisitely  chiselled  that  they  made,  for  the 
time,  any  utterance  agreeable,  and  suggested  that 
only  tasteful  thoughts  and  words  could  come  from 
them. 

"  Now,  mother,"  said  Mr.  Yocomb,  leaning  back 
in  his  chair  after  finishing  a  generous  cup  of  coffee, 


A  SHINING    TIDE.  43 

i(  I  feel  inclined  to  be  a  good  Christian  man.  I 
have  a  broad  charity  for  about  every  one  except 
editors  and  politicians.  I  am  a  man  of  peace,  and 
there  can  be  no  peace  while  these  disturbers  of  the 
body  politic  thrive  by  setting  people  by  the  ears. 
I  don't  disparage  the  fare,  mother,  that  thee 
gives  us  at  the  meeting-house,  that  is,  when  thee 
does  give  us  any,  but  I  do  take  my  affirmation  that 
thee  has  prepared  a  gospel  feast  for  us  since  we 
came  home  that  has  refreshed  my  inner  man.  As 
long  as  I  am  in  the  body,  roast-beef  and  like  creat 
ure  comforts  are  a  means  of  grace  to  me.  I  arn 
now  in  a  contented  frame  of  mind,  and  am  quite 
disposed  to  be  amiable.  Emily  Warren,  I  can  even 
tolerate  thy  music — nay,  let  me  speak  the  truth, 
I'd  much  like  to  hear  some  after  my  nap.  Thee 
needn't  shake  thy  head  at  me,  mother  ;  I've  caught 
thee  listening,  and  if  thee  brings  me  up  before 
the  meeting,  I'll  tell  on  thee.  Does  thee  realize, 
Emily  Warren,  that  thee  is  leading  us  out  of  the 
strait  and  narrow  way  ?" 

I  would  be  glad  to  lead  you  out  of  a  narrow 
way,"  she  replied,  in  a  tone  so  quiet  and  yet  so 
rich  that  I  was  inclined  to  believe  I  had  not  yet 
seen  Miss  Warren.  Perhaps  she  saw  that  I  was  be 
coming  conscious  of  her  existence,  for  I  again  de 
tected  the  old  mirthful  light  in  her  eyes.  \Vas  I  or 
Mr.  Yocomb's  remark  the  cause  ? 

Who  was  Emily  Warren  anyway,  and  why  must 
she  be  at  the  farm-house  at  a  time  when  I  so  ear 
nestly  wished  "the  coast  clear?"  The  perverse 
world  at  last  was  asserting  its  true  self,  and  there 


44  A    DAY   OF  FA  TE. 

was  promise  of  a  disturbance  in  my  shining  tide. 
Moreover,  I  was  provoked  that  the  one  remark  of 
this,  Emily  Warren  had  point  to  it,  while  my  per 
fect  flower  of  womanhood  had  revealed  nothing 
definitely  save  a  good  appetite,  and  that  she  had  no 
premonitions  that  this  was  the  day  of  her  destiny. 


CHAPTER   IV. 

REALITY. 

I  BATHER,"  said  my  fair  ideal  abruptly,  as  if 

A  a  bright  idea  had  just  struck  her,  "  did  thce 
notice  that  Friend  Jones's  rockaway  had  been 
painted  and  all  fixed  up  ?  I  guess  he  rather  liked 
our  keeping  him  there  before  all  the  meeting." 

"  Mother,  I  hope  thee'll  be  moved  to  preach 
about  the  charity  that  thinketh  no  evil,"  said  her 
father  gravely. 

The  young  girl  tossed  her  head  slightly  as  she 
asserted,  "  Araminta  Jones  liked  it  anyway.  Any 
one  could  see  that." 

"And  any  one  need  not  have  seen  it  also,"  her 
mother  said,  with  a  pained  look.  Then  she  added, 
in  a  low  aside,  as  we  rose  from  the  table,  "  Thee 
certainly  need  not  have  spoken  about  thy  friend's 
folly." 

The  daughter  apparently  gave  little  heed  to  her 
mother's  rebuke,  and  a  trivial  remark  a  moment 
later  proved  that  she  was  thinking  of  something 
else. 

"  Adah,  thee  can  entertain  Richard  Morton  for 
a  time,  while  mother  attends  to  the  things,"  said 
her  father. 

The  alacrity  with  which  she  complied  was  flat 
tering  at  least,  and  she  led  me  out  on  the  piazza 
that  corresponded  with  my  day-dream. 

"  Zillah,"  called   Mrs.  Yocomb  to  her  little  girl, 


4{-J  A  DA  Y   OP  J*'A  ?£.. 

"  do  not  bother  Emily  Warren.      She  may  wish  to 
be  alone.      Stay  with  Adah  till  I  am  through." 

Oh,    mother,    please,    let    me    go   with    Emily 
Warren.      I  never  have  a  good  time  with  Adah." 

'  There,  mother,  let  her  have  her  own  way," 
said  Adah  pettishly.  "  Emily  Warren,  thee 
shouldn't  pet  her  so  if  thee  doesn't  want  to  be 
bothered  by  her." 

"She  does  not  bother  me  at  all/*  said  Miss 
Warren  quietly.  "  1  like  her." 

The  little  girl  that  had  been  ready  to  cry  turned 
to  her  friend  a  radiant  face  that  was  eloquent  with 
the  undisguised  affection  of  childhood. 

"  Zillah  evidently  likes  you,  Miss  Warren,"  1 
said,  "  and  you  have  given  the  reason.  You  like 
her." 

"  Not  always  a  sufficient  reason  for  liking  an 
other,"  she  answered, 

14  But  a  very  good  one,"  I  urged, 
There  are  many  be.ter  ones." 

'  What  has  reason  to  do  with  liking,  anyway?" 
I  asked. 

The  mirthfulness  I  had  noted  before  glimmered 
in  her  eyes  for  a  moment,  but  she  answered  de 
murely,  "  I  have  seen  instances  that  give  much 
point  to  your  question,  but  I  cannot  answer  it," 
and  with  a  slight  bow  and  smile  she  took  her  hat 
from  Zillah  and  went  down  the  path  with  an  easy, 
natural  carriage,  that  nevertheless  suggested  the 
city  and  its  pavements  rather  than  the  country. 

"What  were  you  two  talking  about?"  asked 
Adah,  with  a  trace  of  vexed  perplexity  on  her 


PEA  LI  TV.  47 

brow,  for  I  imagined  that  my  glance  followed  Miss 
Warren  with  some  admiration  and  interest. 

'  You  must  have  heard  all  we  said." 
'  Where  was  the  point  of  it  ?" 
'  What  I  said  hadn't  any  point,  so  do  not   blame 
yourself  for  not  seeing  it.    Don't  you  like  little  Zil- 
lah  ?     She  seems  a  nice,  quiet  child." 

"  Certainly  I  like  her— she's  my  sister  ;  but  I  de 
test  children." 

"  I  can't  think  that  you  were  detested  when  you 
xvere  a  child." 

"  I  don't  remember;  I  might  have  been,"  she 
replied,  with  a  slight  shrug. 

"  Do  you  think  that,  as  a  child,  you  would  enjoy 
being  detested  ?" 

"  Mother  says  it  often  isn't  good  for  us  to  have 
what  we  enjoy." 

;'  Undoubtedly  your  mother  is  right." 

'  Wrell,  I  don't  see  things  in  that  way.  If  I  like 
a  thing  I  want  it,  and  if  I  don't  like  it  I  don't  want 
it,  and  won't  have  it  if  1  can  help  myself." 

'  Your  views  are  not  unusual,"  I  replied,  turn 
ing  away  to  hide  my  contracting  brow.  "  I  know 
of  others  who  cherish  like  sentiments." 

'  Well,  I'm  glad  to  meet  with  one  who  thinks  as 
I  do,"  she  said  complacently,  and  plucking  a  half- 
blown  rose  that  hung  near  her,  she  turned  its  petals 
sharply  down  as  if  they  were  plaits  of  a  hem  that 
she  was  about  to  stitch. 

"  Here  is  the  first  harmonic  chord  in  the  sweet 
congeniality  of  which  I  dreamed,"  I  inwardly 
groaned  ;  but  I  continued,  "  How  is  it  that  you 


48  A  DA  Y  OF  FA  TF. 

like     Zillah     as    your    sister,    and    not    as    a    little 
girl?" 

"  Oh,  everybody  likes  their  brothers  and  sisters 
after  a  fashion,  but  one  doesn't  care  to  be  bothered 
with  them  when  they  are  little.  Besides,  children, 
rumple  and  spoil  my  dress,"  and  she  looked  down 
at  herself  approvingly. 

"Now,    there's   Emily  Warren/'   continued    my 

embodiment  of  June."  "  Mother  is  beginning 
to  hold  her  up  to  me  as  an  example.  Emily  War 
ren  is  half  the  time  doing  things  that  she  doesn't 
like,  and  I  think  she's  very  foolish.  She  is  telling 
Zillah  a  story  over  there  under  that  tree.  I  don't 
think  one  feels  like  telling  stories  right  after  dinner. 

'  Yes,     but   see     how    much    Zillah    enjoys    the 
.story. 

"  Oh,  of  course  she  enjoys  it.  Why  shouldn't 
.she,  if  it's  a  good  one  ?" 

"Is  it  not  possible  that  Miss  Warren  finds  a 
pleasure  in  giving  pleasure  ?" 

'  Well,  if  she  does,  that  is  her  way  of  having  a 
good  time." 

"  Don't  you  think  it's  a  sweet,  womanly  way?" 

"  Ha,  ha,  ha  !  Arc  you  already  smitten  with 
Emily  Warren's  sweet,  womanly  ways  ?" 

I  confess  that  I  both  blushed  and  frowned  with 
annoyance  and  disappointment,  but  I  answered 
lightly,  "  If  I  were,  would  I  be  one  among  many 
victims  ?" 

"I'm  sure  I  don't  know,"  she  replied,  with  her 
slight  characteristic  shrug,  which  also  intimated 
that  she  didn't  care. 


REALITY.  49 

Miss  Warren,  I  suppose,  is  a  relative  who  is 
visiting  you  ?" 

"  Oh,  no,  she  is  only  a  music  teacher  who  is 
boarding  with  us.  Mother  usually  takes  two  or 
three  boarders  through  the  summer  months,  that  is, 
if  they  are  willing  to  put  up  with  our  ways." 

"I  suppose  it's  correct  to  quote  Scripture  on 
Sunday  afternoon.  I'm  sure  your  mother's  ways 
are  those  of  pleasantness  and  peace.  Do  you  think 
she  would  take  me  as  a  boarder  ?" 

"  I  fear  she'll  think  you  would  want  too  much 
city  style." 

'  That  is  just  what  I  wish  to  escape  from." 

"  I  think  city  style  is  splendid." 

"Why?" 

"  Oh,  the  city  is  gay  and  full  of  life  and  people. 
I  once  took  walks  down  Fifth  Avenue  when  making 
a  visit  in  town,  and  I  would  be  perfectly  happy  if  I 
could  do  so  every  day." 

Perfectly  happy?  I  wish  I  knew  of  something 
that  would  make  me  perfectly  happy.  Pardon  me, 
I  am  only  a  business  man,  and  can't  be  expected  to 
understand  young  ladies  very  well.  I  don't  under 
stand  why  walking  down  Fifth  Avenue  daily  would 
make  you  happy." 

Of  course  not.  A  man  can't  understand  a  girl's 
feelings  in  such  matters." 

4  There  is  nothing  in  New  York  so  beautiful  as 
this  June  day  in  the  country." 

'  Yes,  it's  a  nice  day  ;  but  father  says  we  need 
more  rain  dreadfully." 

"You  have  spoiled  your  rose." 


5°  A    DA  Y  OF  FA  TJ-. 

'  There  are  plenty  more." 
"  Don't  you  like  roses  ?" 
"  Certainly.      Who  does  not  like  roses  ?" 

Let  me  give  you  another.  See,  here  is  one  that 
has  the  hue  of  your  cheeks." 

I  suppose  a  city  pallor  like  Emily  Warren's  is 
more  to  your  taste." 

"  I  am  wholly  out  of  humor  with  the  city,  and  I 
do  not  like  that  which  is  colorless  and  insipid.  I 
think  the  rose  I  have  just  given  you  very  beauti 
ful." 

'  Thanks  for  your  roundabout  compliment,"  and 
she  looked  pleased. 

I  suppose  your  quiet  life  gives  you  much  time 
for  reading  ?" 

"  I  can't  say  that  I  enjoy  father  and  mother's 
books." 

I  doubt  whether  I  would  myself  ;  but  you  have 
your  own  choice  ?" 

I  read  a  story  now  and  then  ;  but  time  slips 
away,  and  I  don't  do  much  reading.  We  country 
girls  make  our  own  clothes,  and  you  have  no  idea 
how  much  time  it  takes." 

'  Will  you  forgive  me  if  I  say  that  I  think  you 
make  yours  very  prettily?" 

Again  she  looked  decidedly  pleased  ;  and,  as  if 
to  reward  me,  she  fastened  the  rose  on  her  bosom. 
"  If  she  would  only  keep  still,"  I  thought,  "  and 
I  could  simply  look  at  her  as  at  a  draped  statue,  I 
could  endure  another  half-hour  ;  but  every  word  she 
speaks  is  like  the  note  of  that  catbird  which  broke 
the  spell  of  harmony  this  morning.  I  have  not  yet 


REALITY.  51 

seen  a  trace  of  ideality  in  her  mind.  Not  a  lov 
able  trait  have  I  discovered  beyond  her  remark 
able  beauty,  which  mocks  one  with  its  broken  prom 
ise.  What  is  the  controlling  yet  perverse  princi 
ple  of  her  life  which  makes  her  seem  an  alien  in 
her  own  home  ?  I  am  glad  she  does  not  use  the 
plain  language  to  me,  since  by  nature  she  is  not  a 
Friend." 

Miss  Yocomb  interrupted   my  thoughts  by  say 
ing, 

I  thought  my  dress  would  be  much  too  simple 
and  country-like  for  your  taste.  I  can  see  myself 
that  Emily  Warren's  dress  has  more  style." 
Resolving  to  explore  a  little,  I  said, 
"  I  know  a  great  many  men  in  town." 
"  Indeed  !"  she  queried,  with  kindling  interest. 
'  Yes,  and  some  of  them  are  fine  artists  ;  and  the 
majority  have  cultivated  their  taste  in  various  ways, 
both  at  home  and  abroad  ;  but  I  do  not  think  many 
of  them  have  any  respect  for  what  you  mean  by 
'  style.'  Shop-boys,  clerks,  and  Fifth  Avenue  ex 
quisites  give  their  minds  to  the  arbitrary  mode  of 
the  hour  ;  but  the  men  in  the  city  who  amount  to 
anything  rarely  know  whether  a  lady's  gown  is  of 
the  latest  cut.  They  do  know,  however,  whether 
it  is  becoming  and  lady-like.  The  solid  men  of  the 
city  have  a  keen  eye  for  beauty,  and  spend  hun 
dreds  of  thousands  of  dollars  to  enjoy  its  various 
phases.  But  half  of  the  time  they  are  anathematiz 
ing  mere  style.  I  have  seen  fashion  transform  a 
pretty  girl  into  as  near  an  approach  to  a  kangaroo 
as  nature  permitted.  Now,  I  shall  be  so  bold  as  to 


52  A    DA  Y   OF  FATE. 

say  that  I  think  your  costume  this  afternoon  has  far 
better  qualities  than  mere  style.  It  is  becoming, 
and  in  keeping  with  the  day  and  season,  and  I  don't 
care  a  fig  whether  it  is  the  style  or  not/' 

My  "  perfect  flower  of  womanhood"  grew  radi 
ant,  and  her  lips  parted  in  a  smile  of  ineffable  con 
tent.  In  bitter  disappointment  I  saw  that  my  arti 
fice  had  succeeded,  and  that  I  had  touched  the 
key-note  of  her  being.  To  my  horror,  she  re 
minded  me  of  a  pleased,  purring  kitten  that  had 
been  stroked  in  the  right  direction. 

'  Your  judgment  is  hasty  and  harsh,"1  I  charged 
myself,  in  half-angry  accusation,  loath  to  believe  the 
truth.  *  You  do  not  know  yet  that  a  compliment 
to  her  dress  is  the  most  acceptable  one  that  she  can 
receive.  She  probably  takes  it  as  a  tribute  to  her 
good  taste,  which  is  one  of  woman's  chief  preroga 
tives. 

I  resolved  to  explore  farther,,  and  continued, 
"  A  lady's  dress  is  like  the  binding  of  a  book — it 
ought  to  be  suggestive  of  her  character.  Indeed, 
she  can  make  it  a  tasteful  expression  of  herself. 
Our  eye  is  often  attracted  or  repelled  by  a  book's 
binding.  When  it  has  been  made  with  a  fine  taste, 
so  that  it  harmonizes  with  the  subject  under  consid 
eration,  we  are  justly  pleased  ;  but  neither  you  nor 
I  believe  in  the  people  who  value  books  for  the  sake 
of  their  covers  only.  Beauty  and  richness  of 
thought,  treasures  of  varied  truth,  sparkling  wit, 
droll  humor,  or  downright  earnestness  are  the  qual 
ities  in  books  that  hold  our  esteem.  A  book  must 
have  a  soul  and  life  of  its  own  as  truly  as  you  or  I  ; 


REALITY.  53 

and  the  costliest  materials,  the  wealth  of  a  king 
dom,  cannot  make  a  true  book  any  more  than  a 
perfect  costume  and  the  most  exquisite  combina 
tion  of  flesh  and  blood  can  make  a  true  woman." 
(I  wondered  if  she  were  listening  to  me  ;  for  her 
face  was  taking  on  an  absent  look.  Conscious  that 
my  homily  was  growing  rather  long,  I  concluded.) 
"  The  book  that  reveals  something  new,  or  puts  old 
truths  in  new  and  interesting  lights — the  book  that 
makes  us  wiser,  that  cheers,  encourages,  comforts, 
amuses,  and  makes  a  man  forget  his  stupid,  miser 
able  self,  is  the  book  we  tie  to.  And  so  a  man 
might  well  wish  himself  knotted  to  a  woman  who 
could  do  as  much  for  him,  and  he  would  naturally 
be  pleased  to  have  her  outward  garb  correspond 
with  her  spiritual  beauty  and  worth." 

My  fair  ideal  had  also  reached  a  momentous  con 
clusion,  for  she  said,  with  the  emphasis  of  a  final 
decision, 

I  won't  cut  that  dress  after  Emily  Warren's 
pattern.  I'll  cut  it  to  suit  myself." 

I  had  been  falling  from  a  seventh  heaven  of  hope 
for  some  time,  but  at  this  moment  I  struck  reality 
with  a  thump  that  almost  made  me  sick  and  giddy. 
The  expression  of  my  face  reminded  her  of  the  ir 
relevancy  of  her  remark,  and  she  blushed  slightly, 
but  laughed  it  off,  saying, 

Pardon  me,  that  I  followed  my  own  thoughts 
for  a  moment  rather  than  yours.  These  matters, 
no  doubt,  seem  mere  trifles  to  you  gentlemen,  but 
they  are  weighty  questions  to  us  girls  who  have  to 
make  a  little  go  a  great  way.  Won't  you,  please, 


54  A   DAY   OF  FA  TE. 

repeat  what  you  said  about  that  lady  who  wrote  a 
book  for  the  sake  of  its  binding  ?  I  think  it's  a 
pretty  idea." 

I  was  so  incensed  that  I  answered  as  I  should 
not  have  done.  "  She  was  remarkably  successful. 
Every  one  looked  at  the  binding,  but  were  soon 
satisfied  to  look  no  farther." 

I  was  both  glad  and  vexed  that  she  did  not  catch 
my  meaning,  for  she  said,  with  a  smile, 

"  It  would  make  a  pretty  ornament." 

It  would  not  be  to  my  taste,"  I  replied 
briefly.  'The  beautiful  binding' would  hold  out 
the  promise  of  a  good  book,  which,  not  being  ful 
filled,  would  be  tantalizing." 

"  Do  you  know  the  lady  well  ?" 

1  'Yes,  I  fear  I  do." 

How  strangely  you  look  at  me  !" 

"  Excuse  mer"  I  said,  starting.  "  I  fear  I  fol 
lowed  your  example  and  was  thinking  of  some 
thing  else." 

But  I  let  what  I  was  thinking  about  slip  out. 

"  It  was  indeed  a  revelation.  My  thoughts  will 
not  interest  you,  I  fear.  The  experience  of  a  man 
who  saw  a  mirage  in  the  desert  came  into  my 
mind. " 

I  don't  see  what  put  that  into  your  head." 

"  Nor  do  I,  now.  The  world  appears  to  me  en 
tirely  matter-of-fact." 

"  I'm  glad  to  hear  you  say  that.  Mother  is  al 
ways  talking  to  me  about  spiritual  meanings,  and 
all  that.  Now  I  agree  with  you.  Things  are  just 
what  they  are.  Some  we  like,  and  some  we  don't 


REALITY.  55 

like.  What  more  is  there  to  say  about  them  ?  I 
think  people  are  very  foolish  if  they  bother  them 
selves  over  things  or  people  they  don't  like.  I 
hope  mother  will  take  you  to  board,  for  I  would 
like  to  have  some  one  in  the  house  who  looks  at 
things  as  I  do." 

'  Thanks.  Woman's  intuition  is  indeed  uner 
ring." 

"  I  declare,  there  comes  Silas  Jones  with  his  new 
top-buggy.  You  won't  mind  his  making  one  of  our 
party,  will  you  ?" 

I  think  I  will  go  to  my  room  and  rest  awhile, 
and  thus  I  shall  not  be  that  chief  of  this  world's 
evils — the  odious  third  party."  And  I  rose  deci 
sively. 

"I'd  rather  you  wouldn't  go,"  she  said.  "  I 
don't  care  specially  for  him,  and  he  does  not  talk 
half  so  nicely  as  you  do.  You  needn't  go  on  his 
account.  Indeed,  I  like  to  have  half  a  dozen  gen 
tlemen  around  me." 

'  You  are  delightfully  frank." 

4  Yes,  I  usually  say  what  I  think." 

"  And  do  as  you  please,"  I  added. 

"Certainly.  Why  shouldn't  I  when  I  can? 
Don't  you  ?" 

"  But  I  come  from  the  wicked  city." 

"  So  does  Emily  Warren." 

"  Is  she  wicked  ?" 

11  I  don't  know  ;  she  keeps  it  to  herself  if  she  is  ; 
and,  by  the  way,  she  is  very  quiet.  I  can  never 
get  her  to  talk  much  about  herself.  She  appears 
so  good  that  mother  is  beginning  to  quote  her  as  an 


56  A    DA  Y   OF  FA  TE. 

example,  and  that,  you  know,  always  makes  one 
detest  a  person.  I  think  there  is  some  mystery 
about  her.  I'm  sorry  you  will  go,  for  I've  lots  of 
questions  I'd  like  to  ask  you  now  we  are  ac 
quainted." 

'  Pardon   me  ;   I'm  not  strong,  and  must  have  a 
rest.      Silas  Jones  will  answer  just  as  well." 

"  Not  quite,"  she  said  softly,  with  a  smile  de 
signed  to  be  bewitching. 

As  I  passed  up  the  hall  I  heard  her  say,  "  Silas 
Jones,  I'm  pleased  to  see  thee. " 

I  threw  myself  on  the  lounge  in  my  room  in  an 
gry  disgust. 

"  Oh,  Nature  !"  I  exclaimed,  "  what  excuse  have 
you  for  such  perverseness  ?  By  every  law  of  proba 
bility — by  the  ordinary  sequence  of  cause  and  effect 
— this  girl  should  have  been  what  I  fancied  her  to 
be.  This,  then,  forsooth,  is  the  day  of  my  fate  !  It 
would  be  the  day  of  doom  did  some  malicious  power 
chain  me  to  this  brainless,  soulless,  heartless  creat 
ure.  What  possessed  Nature  to  make  such  a  blun 
der,  to  begin  so  fairly  and  yet  reach  such  a  lame 
and  impotent  conclusion  ?  To  the  eye  the  girl  is 
the  fair  and  proper  outcome  of  this  home  and  beau 
tiful  country  life.  In  reality  she  is  a  flat  contradic 
tion  to  it  all,  reversing  in  her  own  character  the 
native  traits  and  acquired  graces  of  her  father  and 
mother. 

As  if  controlled  and   carried  forward  by  a  hid 
den   and   malign  power,   she  goes  steadily  against 
her  surrounding  influences   that,  like  the  winds  of 
heaven,  might  have  wafted  her  toward  all  that  is 


REALITY.  57 

good  and  true.  Is  not  sweet,  quaint  Mrs.  Yo- 
comb  her  mother  ?  Is  not  the  genial,  hearty  old 
gentleman  her  father  ?  Has  she  not  developed 
among  scenes  that  should  ennoble  her  nature,  and 
enrich  her  mind  with  ideality  ?  There  is  Oriental 
simplicity  and  largeness  in  her  parents'  faith.  Abra 
ham,  sitting  at  the  door  of  his  tent,  could  scarcely 
have  done  better.  Hers  is  the  simplicity  of  silli 
ness,  which  reveals  what  a  woman  of  sense,  though 
no  better  than  herself,  would  not  speak  of.  It  is 
exasperating  to  think  that  her  eye  and  fingers  are 
endowed  with  a  sense  of  harmony  and  beauty,  so 
that  sh-e  can  cut  a  gown  and  adorn  her  lovely  per 
son  to  perfection,  and  yet  be  so  idiotic  as  to  make 
a  spectacle  of  herself  in  her  real  womanhood.  As 
far  as  I  can  make  out,  Nature  is  more  to  blame  than 
the  girl.  There  is  not  a  bat  blinking  in  the  sun 
light  more  blind  than  she  to  every  natural  beauty  of 
this  June  day  ;  and  yet  her  eyes  are  microscopic, 
and  she  sees  a  host  of  little  things  not  worth  see 
ing.  A  true  womanly  moral  nature  seems  never  to 
have  been  infused  into  her  being.  She  detests 
children,  her  little  sister  shrinks  from  her  ;  she 
speaks  and  surmises  evil  of  the  absent  ;  to  strut 
down  Fifth  Avenue  in  finery,  to  which  she  has  given 
her  whole  soul,  is  her  ideal  of  happiness — there, 
stop  !  She  is  the  daughter  of  my  kind  host  and 
hostess.  The  mystery  of  this  world's  evil  is  sadly 
exemplified  in  her  defective  character,  from  which 
sweet,  true  womanliness  was  left  out.  I  should 
pity  her,  and  treat  her  as  if  she  were  deformed. 
Poor  Mrs.  Yocomb  !  Even  mother-love  cannot 


58  A    DA  V   OF  FA  TE. 

blind  her  to  the  truth  that  her  fair  daughter  is  a 
misshapen  creature."  After  a  little,  I  added  weari 
ly,  "I  wish  I  had  never  seen  her  ;  I  am  the  worse 
for  this  day's  mirage,"  and  I  closed  my  eyes  in  dull 
apathy. 


CHAPTER    V. 

MUTUAL   DISCOVERIES. 

I  MUST  have  slept  for  an  hour  or  more,  for 
when  I  awoke  I  saw  through  the  window- lat 
tice  that  the  sun  was  declining  in  the  west.  Sleep 
had  again  proved  better  than  all  philosophy  or  med 
icine,  for  it  had  refreshed  me  and  given  something 
of  the  morning's  elasticity. 

I  naturally  indulged  in  a  brief  retrospect,  con 
scious  that  while  nothing  had  happened,  since  the 
croaking  printer's  remark,  that  I  would  care  to 
print  in  the  paper,  experiences  had  occurred  that 
touched  me  closer  than  would  the  news  that  all  the 
Malays  of  Asia  were  running  amuck.  I  felt  as  if 
thrown  back  on  to  my  old  life  and  work  in  precisely 
their  old  form.  My  expedition  into  the  country 
and  romance  had  been  disappointing.  It  is  true  I 
had  found  rest  and  sleep,  and  for  these  I  was  grate 
ful,  "  and  with  these  staunch  allies  I  can  go  on 
with  my  work,  which  I  now  believe  is  the  best  thing 
the  world  has  for  me.  I  shall  go  back  to  it  to 
morrow,  well  content,  after  this  day's  experience, 
to  make  it  my  mistress.  The  bare  possibility  of 
being  yoked  to  such  a  woman  as  in  fancy  I  have 
wooed  and  won  to-day  makes  me  shiver  with  inex 
pressible  dread.  Her  obtuseness,  combined  with 
her  microscopic  surveillance,  would  drive  me  to  the 
nearest  madhouse  I  could  find.  The  whole  busi 
ness  of  love-making  and  marriage  involves  too  much 


60  A    DA  Y   OF  FA  TE. 

risk  to  a  man  who,  like  myself,  must  use  his  wits 
as  a  sword  to  carve  his  fortunes.  I've  fought  my 
way  up  alone  so  far,  and  may  as  well  remain  a  free 
lance.  The  wealthy,  and  those  who  are  content  to 
plod,  can  go  through  life  with  a  woman  hanging  on 
their  arm.  Rich  I  shall  never  be,  and  I'll  die  be 
fore  I'll  plod.  My  place  is  in  the  midst  of  the 
world's  arena,  where  the  forces  that  shall  make  the 
future  are  contending,  and  I  propose  to  be  an  ap 
preciable  part  of  those  forces.  I  shall  go  back  the 
wiser  and  stronger  for  this  day's  folly,  and  infi 
nitely  better  for  its  rest,"  and  I  marched  down 
the  moody  stairway,  feeling  that  I  was  not  yet  a 
crushed  and  broken  man,  and  cherishing  also  a 
secret  complacency  that  I  had  at  last  outgrown  my 
leanings  toward  sentimentality. 

As  I  approached  the  door  of  the  wide,  low 
browed  parlor,  I  saw  Miss  Warren  reading  a  paper  ; 
a  second  later  and  my  heart  gave  a  bound  :  it  was 
the  journal  of  which  I  was  the  night  editor,  and  I 
greeted  its  familiar  aspect  as  the  face  of  an  old 
friend  in  a  foreign  land.  It  was  undoubtedly  the 
number  that  had  gone  to  press  the  night  I  had  bro 
ken  down,  and  I  almost  hoped  to  see  some  marks 
of  the  catastrophe  in  its  columns.  How  could  I 
beguile  the  coveted  sheet  from  Miss  Warren's  hands 
and  steal  away  to  a  half-hour's  seclusion  ? 

"What!  Miss  Warren,"  I  exclaimed,  "read 
ing  a  newspaper  on  Sunday  ?" 

She  looked  at  me  a  moment  before  replying,  and 
then  asked, 

"  Do  you  believe  in  a  Providence  ?" 


MUTUAL    DISCOVERIES.  61 

Thrown  off  my  guard  by  the  unexpected  ques 
tion,  I  answered, 

"  Assuredly  ;  I  am  not  quite  ready  to  admit  that 
I  am  a  fool,  even  after  all  that  has  happened." 

There  was  laughter  in  her  eyes  at  once,  but  she 
asked  innocently, 

'  What  has  happened  ?" 

I  suppose  my  color  rose  a  little,  but  I  replied 
carelessly,  "  I  have  made  some  heavy  blunders  of 
late.  Y°u  are  adroit  in  stealing  away  from  a  weak 
position  under  a  fire  of  questions,  but  your  strata 
gem  shall  not  succeed,"  I  continued  severely. 
"  How  can  you  explain  the  fact, -too  patent  to  be 
concealed,  that  here  in  good  Mrs.  Yocomb's  house, 
and  on  a  Sunday  afternoon,  you  are  reading  a  secu 
lar  newspaper  ?" 

"  You  have  explained  my  conduct  yourself,"  she 
said,  assuming  a  fine  surprise. 

"I?" 

"  You,  and  most  satisfactorily.  You  said  you 
believed  in  a  Providence.  I  have  merely  been  read 
ing  what  he  has  done,  or  what  he  has  permitted 
within  the  last  twenty-four  hours." 

I  looked  around  for  a  chair,  and  sat  down  "  struck 
all  of  a  heap,"  as  the  rural  vernacular  has  it. 

"  Is  that  your  definition  of  news?"  I  ventured 
at  last. 

"  I'm  not  a  dictionary.  That's  the  definition  of 
what  I've  been  reading  this  afternoon." 

"  Miss  Warren,  you  may  score  one  against  me." 

The  mischievous  light  was  in  her  eyes,  but  she 
said  suavely, 


<  A    DAY   OF  FA  TE. 

4<  Oh,  no,  you  shall  have  another  chance.  I  shall 
begin  by  showing  mercy,  for  I  may  need  it,  and  I 
see  that  you  can  be  severe." 

"  Well,  please,  let  me  take  breath  and  rally  my 
shattered  wits  before  I  make  another  advance.  I 
understand  you,  then,  that  you  regard  newspapers 
as  good  Sunday  reading  ?" 

"You  prove  your  ability,  Mr.  Morton,  by  draw 
ing  a  vast  conclusion  from  a  small  and  ill-defined 
premise.  I  don't  recall  making  any  such  state 
ment." 

"  Pardon  me,  you  are  at  disadvantage  now.  I 
ask  for  no  better  premise  than  your  own  action  ; 
for  you  are  one,  I  think,  who  would  do  only  what 
you  thought  right." 

"  A  palpable  hit.  I'm  glad  I  showed  you 
mercy.  Still  it  does  not  follow  that  because  I  read 
a  newspaper,  all  newspapers  are  good  Sunday  read 
ing.  Indeed,  there  is  much  in  this  paper  that  is 
not  good  reading  for  Monday  or  any  other  day." 

"  Ah  !"  I  exclaimed,  looking  grave,  "  then  why 
do  you  read  it  ?" 

"  I  have  not.  A  newspaper  is  like  the  world  of 
which  it  is  a  brief  record — full  of  good  and  evil. 
In  either  case,  if  one  does  not  like  the  evil,  it  can 
be  left  alone." 

"  Which  do  you  think  predominates  in  that 
paper  ?" 

"  Oh,  the  good,  in  the  main.  There  is  an  abun 
dance  of  evil,  too,  but  it  is  rather  in  the  frank  and 
undisguised  record  of  the  evil  in  the  world.  It 
does  not  seem  to  have  got  into  the  paper's  blood 


MUTUAL   DISCOVERIES.  63 

and  poisoned  its  whole  life.  It  is  easily  skipped  if 
one  is  so  inclined.  There  are  some  journals  in 
which  the  evil  cannot  be  skipped.  From  the  lead 
ing  editorial  to  the  obscurest  advertisement,  one 
stumbles  on  it  everywhere.  They  are  like  certain 
regions  in  the  South,  in  which  there  is  no  escape 
from  the  snakes  and  malaria.  Now  there  are  low 
places  in  this  paper,  but  there  is  high  ground  also, 
where  the  air  is  good  and  wholesome,  and  where 
the  outlook  on  the  world  is  wide.  That  is  the  rea 
son  I  take  it." 

"  I  was  not  aware  that  many  young  ladies  looked, 
in  journals  of  this  character,  beyond  the  record  of 
deaths  and  marriages." 

"  We  studied  ancient  history.  Is  it  odd  that  we 
should  have  a  faint  desire  to  know  what  Americans 
are  doing,  as  well  as  what  the  Babylonians  did  ?" 

"  Oh,  I  do  not  decry  your  course  as  irrational. 
It  seems  rather — rather — ' 

"  Rather  too  rational  for  a  young  lady." 

"  I  did  not  say  that  ;  but  here  is  my  excuse,"  and 
I  took  from  a  table  near,  a  periodical  entitled  "  The 
Young  Lady's  Own  Weekly,"  addressed  to  Miss 
Adah  Yocomb. 

11  Have  not  young  men  their  own  weeklies  also — 
which  of  the  two  classes  are  the  more  weakly  ?" 

"  Ahem  !  I  decline  to  pursue  this  phase  of  the 
subject  any  farther.  To  return  to  our  premise,  this 
journal,"  and  I  laid  my  hand  on  the  old  paper  ca 
ressingly.  "  It  so  happens  that  I  read  it  also,  and 
thus  learn  that  we  have  had  many  thoughts  in  com 
mon  ;  though,  no  doubt,  we  would  differ  on  some 


64  A    DAY   OF  FA  TE. 

of  the  questions  discussed  in  it.  What  "do  you  think 
of  its  politics  ?" 

"  I  think  they  are  often  very  bad." 

"  That's  delightfully  frank,"  I  said,  sitting  back 
in  my  chair  a  little  stiffly.  "  I  think  they  are  very- 
good — at  any  rate  they  are  mine." 

"  Perhaps  that  is  the  reason  they  are  so  good  ?" 

"  Now,  pardon  me  if  I,  too,  am  a  trifle  plain. 
Do  you  consider  yourself  as  competent  to  form  an 
opinion  concerning  politics  as  gray-headed  students 
of  affairs  ?" 

"  Oh,  certainly  not  ;  but  do  I  understand  that 
you  accept,  unquestioningly,  the  politics  of  the 
paper  you  read  ?" 

"Far  from  it:  rather  that  the  politics  of  this 
paper  commend  themselves  to  my  judgment." 

"And  you  think  'judgment'  an  article  not 
among  a  young  woman's  possessions  ?" 

Miss  Warren,  you  may  think  what  you  please 
of  the  politics  of  this  paper.  But  how  comes  it 
that  you  think  about  them  at  all?  I'm  sure  that 
they  interest  but  comparatively  few  young  la 
dies." 

Her  face  suddenly  became  very  grave  and  sad, 
and  a  moment  later  she  turned  away  her  eyes  that 
were  full  of  tears.  "  I  wish  you  hadn't  asked  that 
question  ;  but  I  will  explain  my  seeming  weak 
ness,"  she  said,  in  a  low,  faltering  voice.  "  I  lost 
my  only  brother  in  the  war — I  was  scarcely  more 
than  a  child  ;  but  I  can  see  him  now — my  very 
ideal  of  brave,  loyal  manhood.  Should  I  not  love 
the  country  for  which  he  died?" 


MUTUAL   DISCOVERIES.  65 

Politics  !  a  word  that  men  so  often  utter  with 
contempt,  has  been  hallowed  to  me  since  that  mo 
ment. 

She  looked  away  for  a  moment,  swiftly  pressed 
her  handkerchief  to  her  eyes,  then  turning  toward 
me  said,  with  a  smile,  and  in  her  former  tones, 

"  Forgive  me  !  I've  been  a  bit  lonely  and  blue 
this  afternoon,  for  the  day  has  reminded  me  of  the 
past.  I  won't  be  weak  and  womanish  any  more.  I 
think  some  political  questions  interest  a  great  many 
women  deeply.  It  must  be  so.  We  don't  dote  on 
scrambling  politicians  ;  but  a  man  as  a  true  states 
man  makes  a  grand  figure." 

I  was  not  thinking  of  statecraft  or  the  crafts 
men. 

"  By  Jove  !"  I  exclaimed  mentally,  "  this  girl 
is  more  beautiful  than  my  '  perfect  flower  of  woman 
hood.'  Night-owl  that  I  am,  I  am  just  gaining  the 
power  to  see  her  clearly  as  the  sun  declines." 

I  know  my  face  was  full  of  honest  sympathy  as  I 
said,  gently  and  reverently, 

'  Tell  me  more  of  your  brother.  The  thoughts 
of  such  men  make  me  better." 

She  shot  a  quick,  grateful  glance,  looked  down, 
trembled,  shook  her  head  as  she  faltered, 

"  I  cannot — please  don't  ;  speak  of  something 
far  removed." 

The  feeling  was  so  deep,  and  yet  so  strongly 
curbed,  that  its  repression  affected  me  more  deeply 
than  could  its  manifestation.  Her  sorrow  became 
a  veiled  and  sacred  mystery  of  which  I  could  never 
be  wholly  unconscious  again  ;  and  I  felt  that  how- 


66  A    DAY   OF  FA  TE. 

ever  strong  and  brilliant  she  might  prove  in  oui 
subsequent  talk,  I  should  ever  see,  back  of  all,  the 
tender-hearted,  sensitive  woman. 

"  Please  forgive  me.  I  was  cruelly  thoughtless," 
I  said,  in  a  voice  that  trembled  slightly.  Then, 
catching  up  the  paper,  I  continued,  with  attempted 
lightness,  "  We  have  found  this  journal,  that  we 
mutually  read,  a  fruitful  theme.  What  do  you 
think  of  its  literary  reviews  ?" 

Mirth  and  tears  struggled  for  the  mastery  in  her 
eyes  ;  but  she  answered,  with  a  voice  that  had  re 
gained  its  clear,  bell-like  tone, 

"  In  some  I  have  seen  indisputable  proof  of  im 
partiality  and  freedom  from  prejudice." 

"  In  what  did  that  proof  consist  ?" 

"  In  the  evident  fact  that  the  reviewer  .had  not 
read  the  book." 

'  You  are  severe,"  I  said,  coloring  slightly. 

She  looked  at  me  with  a  little  surprise,  but  con 
tinued, 

'  That  does  not  happen  very  often.  It  is  clear 
that  there  are  several  contributors  to  this  depart 
ment,  and  I  have  come  to  look  for  the  opinions  of 
one  of  them  with  much  interest.  I  am  sure  of  a 
careful  and  appreciative  estimate  of  a  book  from  his 
point  of  view.  His  one  fault  appears  to  be  that  he 
sees  everything  from  one  perspective,  and  does  not 
realize  that  the  same  thing  may  strike  oth&r  intelli 
gent  people  very  differently.  But  he's  a  fixecf  and 
certain  quantity,  and  a  good  point  to  measure 
from.  I  like  him  because  he  is  so  sincere.  He 
sits  down  to  a  bo'ok  as  a  true  scientist  does  to  a 


MUTUAL   DISCOVERIES.  67 


phase  of  nature,  to  really  learn  what  there  is  in  it, 
and  not  merely  to  display  a  little  learning,  sarcasm, 
or  smartness.  I  always  feel  sure  that  I  know  some 
thing  about  a  book  after  reading  one  of  his  reviews, 
and  also  whether  I  could  afford  to  spend  a  part  of 
my  limited  time  in  reading  it." 

"  I  have  singled  out  the  same  reviewer,  and  think 
your  estimate  correct.  On  another  occasion,  when 
we  have  more  time,  I  am  going  to  ask  how  you  like 
the  musical  critic's  opinions  ;  for  on  that  subject 
you  would  be  at  home." 

'  What  makes  you  think  so  ?" 

"  Miss  Yocomb  told  me  that  you  taught  music 
in  the  city,  and  music  is  about  the  only  form  of 
recreation  for  which  I  have  taken  time  in  my  busy 
life.  There  are  many  things  concerning  the  musi 
cal  tendencies  of  the  day  that  I  would  like  to  ask 
you  about.  But  I  hear  the  clatter  of  the  supper 
dishes.  What  do  you  think  of  the  editorial  page, 
and  its  moral  tendencies  ?  That  is  a  good  Sunday 
theme." 

'  There  is  evidence  of  much  ability,  but  there  is 
a  lack  of  earnestness  and  definite  purpose.  The 
paper  is  newsy  and  bright,  and,  in  the  main,  whole 
some.  It  reflects  public  opinion  fairly  and  honest 
ly,  but  does  little  to  shape  it.  It  is  often  spicily 
controversial,  sometimes  tiresomely  so.  I  do  a 
good  deal  of  skipping  in  that  line.  I  wish  its  quar 
rels  resulted  more  from  efforts  to  right  some  wrong  ; 
and  there  is  so  much  evil  in  our  city,  both  in  high 
and  low  places,  that  ought  to  be  fought  to  the  death. 
The  editor  has  exceptional  opportunities,  and 


68  A   DAY  OF  FA TE. 

might  be  the  knight-errant  of  our  age.  If  in  ear 
nest,  and  on  the  right  side,  he  can  forge  a  weapor 
out  of  public  opinion  that  few  evils  could  resist. 
And  he  is  in  just  the  position  to  discover  these  drag 
ons,  and  drive  them  from  their  hiding-places.  If, 
for  instance,  the  clever  paragraphist  in  this  column, 
whose  province,  it  seems,  is  to  comment  at  the  lasl 
moment  on  the  events  of  the  day,  were  as  desirous 
of  saying  true,  strong,  earnest  words,  as  brighl 
and  prophetic  ones,  in  which  the  news  of  the  mor 
row  is  also  outlined — why,  Mr.  Morton,  what  is  the 
matter  ?' 

"  Are  you  a  witch  ?" 

She  looked  at  me  a  moment,  blushed  deeply,  and 
asked  hesitatingly, 

"  Are — are  you  the  paragraphist  ?" 
'Yes,"  I  said,  with  a  burst  of  laughter,  "as 
truly  as  yours  is  the  only  witchcraft  in  which  I  be 
lieve — that  of  brains.'-'  Then  putting  my  finger  .on 
my  lips,  I  added,  sotto  vocc,  "  Don't  betray  me. 
Mr.  Yocomb  would  set  all  his  dogs  on  me  if  he 
knew  I  were  an  editor,  and  I  don't  wish  to  go 
yet." 

'  What    have  I   been  saying  !"    she   exclaimed, 
with  an  appalled  look. 

"  Lots  of  clever  things.  I  never  got  so  many 
good  hints  in  the  same  time  before." 

"  It  wasn't  fair  in  you,  to  lead  me  on  in  the 
dark." 

"  Oh,  there  wasn't  any  'dark/  I  assure  you. 
Your  words  were  coruscations.  Never  was  the  old 
journal  so  lighted  up  before," 


MUTUAL   DISCOVERIES.  69 

There  v;ere  both  perplexity  and  annoyance  in  her 
face  as  she  looked  dubiously  at  me.  Instantly  be 
coming  grave,  I  stepped  to  her  side  and  took  her 
hand,  as  I  said,  with  the  strongest  emphasis, 

"  Miss  Warren,  I  thank  you.  I  have  caught  a 
glimpse  of  my  work  and  calling  through  the  eyes  of 
a  true,  refined,  and,  permit  me  to  add,  a  gifted 
woman.  I  think  I  shall  be  the  better  for  it,  but 
will  make  no  professions.  If  I'm  capable  of  im 
provement  this  column  will  show  it." 

Her  hand  trembled  in  mine  as  she  looked  away 
and  said, 

'  You  are  capable  of  sympathy. 

Then  she  went  hastily  to  the  piano. 

Before  she  could  play  beyond  a  bar  or  two,  little 
Zillah  bounded  in,  exclaiming, 

"  Emily  Warren,  mother  asks  if  thee  and  Rich 
ard  Morton  will  come  out  to  tea?" 

I  may  be  in  error,  but  is  not  a  piano  one  of  the 
worldly  vanities  ?"  I  asked,  as  she  turned  to  com 
ply.  "  I  did  not  expect  to  see  one  here." 

Mrs.  Yocomb  kindly  took  this  in  with  me.  I 
could  scarcely  live  without  one,  so  you  see  I  carry 
the  shop  with  me  everywhere,  and  am  so  linked  to 
my  business  that  I  can  never  be  above  it." 

"  I  hope  not,  but  you  carry  the  business  up  with 
you.  The  shop  may  be,  and  ought  to  be,  thor 
oughly  respectable.  It  is  the  narrow,  mercenary 
spirit  of  the  shop  that  is  detestable.  If  you  had 
that,  you  would  leave  your  piano  in  New  York, 
since  here  it  would  have  no  money  value/' 
"You  take  a  nice  view  of  it." 


7°  A    DA  Y  OF  FA  TE. 

'  Is  it  not  the  true  view  ?" 
In  mock  surprise  she  answered, 

;<  Mr.  Morton,  I'm  from  New  York.  Did  you 
ever  meet  a  lady  from  that  city  who  was  not  all 
that  the  poets  claimed  for  womanhood  ?" 


CHAPTER    VI. 

A     QUAKER    TEA. 

RICHARD  MORTON,"  said  Mrs.  Yocomb 
genially,  "  thee  seems  listening  very  in 
tently  to  something  Emily  Warren  is  saying,  so 
thee  may  take  that  seat  beside  her." 

"  Richard  Morton,"  said  Mr.  Yocomb  from  the 
head  of  the  table,  "  has  thee  made  the  acquaint 
ance  of  Emily  Warren  ?" 

"  No,  sir,  but  I  am  making  it." 

"  So  am  I,  and  she  has  been  here  a  week." 

"  I  should  esteem  that  one  of  the  highest  of  com 
pliments,"  I  said  ;  then  turning  to  her,  I  added, 
in  an  aside,  "  you  found  me  out  in  half  an  hour." 

"  Am  I  such  a  sphinx  ?"  she  asked  Mr.  Yocomb 
with  a  smile  ;  while  to  me  she  said,  in  a  low  tone, 
F  You  are  mistaken.  You  have  had  something  to 
say  to  me  almost  daily  for  a  year  or  more." 

"  I  am  not  acquainted  with  the  article,  and  so 
can't  give  an  opinion,"  Mr.  Yocomb  replied,  with  a 
humorous  twinkle  in  his  eye.  "  If  the  lesemblance 
is  close,  so  much  the  better  for  the  sphinxes." 

"  Now,  father,  thee  isn't  a  young  man  that  thee 
should  be  complimenting  the  girls,"  his  wife  re 
marked. 

I've  persuaded  Silas  Jones  to  stay,"  said  Adah, 
entering. 

"  Silas  Jones,  I   hope  thee  and  thy  parents  are 


7 2  A    DAY   OF  FATE. 

well,"  Mrs.  Yocomb  answered,  with  a  courtesy 
somewhat  constrained.  '  Will  thee  take  that  seat 
by  Adah  ?  Let  me  make  thee  acquainted  with 
Richard  Morton  and  Emily  Warren." 

We  bowed,  but  I  turned  instantly  to  Miss  War 
ren  and  said, 

11  Do  you  note  how  delightfully  Mrs.  Yocomb 
unites  our  names  ?  I  take  it  as  an  omen  that  we  may 
become  friends  in  spite  of  my  shortcomings.  You 
should  have  been  named  first  in  the  order  of  merit." 

"  Mrs.  Yocomb  rarely  makes  mistakes,"  she  re 
plied. 

'  That  confirms  my  omen." 

"  Omens  are  often  ominous." 

"  I'm  prepared  for  the  best." 

"  Hush  !"  and  she  bowed  her  head  in  the  grace 
customary  before  meals  in  this  house. 

I  had  noted  that  Mr.  Yocomb's  bow  to  Mr.  Jones 
was  slightly  formal  also.  Remembering  the  hospi 
table  traits  of  my  host  and  hostess,  I  concluded  that 
the  young  man  was  not  exactly  to  their  taste.  In 
deed,  a  certain  jauntiness  in  dress  that  verged  tow 
ard  flashiness  would  not  naturally  predispose  them 
in  his  favor.  But  Adah,  although  disclaiming  any 
special  interest  in  him,  seemed  pleased  with  his  at 
tentions.  She  was  not  so  absorbed,  however,  but 
that  she  had  an  eye  for  me,  and  expected  my  hom 
age  also.  She  apparently  felt  that  she  had  made  a 
very  favorable  impression  on  me,  and  that  we  were 
congenial  spirits.  During  the  half  hour  that  follow 
ed  I  felt  rather  than  saw  that  this  fact  amused 
Miss  Warren  exceedingly. 


A    QUAKER    TEA.  73 

For  a  few  moments  we  sat  in  silence,  but  I  fear 
my  grace  was  as  graceless  as  my  morning  worship 
had  been.  Miss  Warren's  manner  was  reverent. 
Were  her  thoughts  also  wandering  ?  and  whither  ? 
She  certainly  held  mine,  and  by  a  constraint  that 
was  not  unwelcome. 

When  she  lifted  her  expressive  eyes  I  concluded 
that  she  had  done  better  than  merely  comply  with 
a  religious  custom. 

'  The  spirit  of  this  home  has  infected  you,"  I 
said, 

"  It  might  be  well  for  you  also  to  catch  the  in 
fection." 

"  I  know  it  would  be  well  for  me,  and  wish  to 
expose  myself  to  it  to  the  utmost.  You  are  the 
only  obstacle  I  fear." 

M     I?" 

1  Yes.      I  will  explain  after  supper." 
4  To   explain   that  you   have  good  cause  to  ask 
for  time." 

"  Richard  Morton,  does  thee  like  much  sugar  in 
thy  tea?"  Mrs.  Yocomb  asked, 

"  No — yes,  none  at  all,  if  you  please." 

My  hostess  looked  at  me  a  little  blankly,  and 
Adah  and  Silas  Jones  giggled, 

"  A  glass  of  milk  will  help  us  both  out  of  our 
dilemma,"  I  said,  with  a  laugh. 

"An  editor  should  be  able  to  think  of  two 
things  at  once,"  Miss  Warren  remarked,  in  a  low 
aside, 

'  That  depends  on  the  subject  of  his  thoughts. 
But  don't  breathe  that  word  here,  or  I'm  undone." 


7  !-  A  DA  Y   OF  FA  TE. 

'  Richard  Morton,"  said  Mr.  Yocomb,  "  I  hope 
{.nee  feels  the  better  for  mother's  ministrations 
since  we  came  home.  Will  thee  pass  thy  plate  for 
some  more  of  the  same  kind  ?" 

"  Mrs.  Yocomb  has  done  me  good  ever  since  I 
followed  her  into  the  meeting-house,"  I  replied. 

I  am  indeed  the  better  for  her  dinner,  and  I 
ought  to  be.  I  feared  you  would  all  be  aghast  at 
the  havoc  I  made.  But  it  is  your  kindness  and 
hospitality  that  have  done  me  the  most  good.  I 
would  not  have  believed  yesterday  afternoon  that 
my  fortunes  could  have  taken  so  favorable  a  turn." 
'Why,  what  was  the  matter  with  you  then?" 
asked  Adah,  with  wide-eyed  curiosity  ;  and  little 
Zillah  looked  at  me  with  a  pitying  and  puzzled 
glance. 

"  A  common  complaint  in  the  city.  I  was  com 
mitting  suicide,  and  yesterday  became  conscious  of 
the  fact." 

'  Mr.  Morton  must  have  hit  on  an  agreeable 
method  of  suicide,  since  he  could  commit  it  uncon 
sciously,"  Miss  Warren  remarked  mischievously. 

14  I  read  in  Emily  Warren's  newspaper  this  after 
noon,"  said  Silas  Jones,  with  awkward  malice,  "of 
a  young  fellow  who  got  a  girl  to  marry  him  by  pre 
tending  to  commit  suicide.  He  didn't  hurt  him 
self  much  though." 

The  incident  amused  Adah  exceedingly,  and  I 
saw  that  Miss  Warren's  eyes  were  full  of  laughter. 
Assuming  a  shocked  expression,  I  said, 

14  I  am  surprised  that  Miss  Warren  takes  a  paper 
so  full  of  insidious  evil."  Then,  with  the  deepest 


A    QL.'AA'EK    TEA.  75 

gravity,  I  remarked  to  Silas  Jones,  "  I  have  re 
cently  been  informed,  sir,  on  good  authority,  that 
each  one  instinctively  finds  and  reads  in  a  news 
paper  that  which  he  likes  or  needs.  I  sincerely 
hope,  my  dear  sir,  that  the  example  you  have 
quoted  will  not  lead  you  to  adopt  a  like  method." 

Adah  laughed  openly  at  her  suitor's  confusion, 
and  the  mouths  of  the  others  were  twitching. 
With  the  complexion  of  the  rose  at  his  button-hole 
Mr.  Jones  said,  a  trifle  vindictively, 

"I  thought  the  paragraph  might  refer  to  you, 
sir,  you  seem  so  slightly  hurt." 

14  I  don't  like  to  contradict  you,  but  I  cannot  be 
this  ingenious  youth  whose  matrimonial  enterprise 
so  deeply  interests  you,  since  I  am  not  married,  and 
I  was  hurt  severely." 

'Thee  had  been  overworking,"  said  Mrs.  Yo- 
comb  kindly. 

'  Working  foolishly  rather.  I  thought  I  haci 
broken  down,  but  sleep  and  your  kindness  have  st- 
revived  me  that  I  scarcely  know  myself.  Are  yoi! 
accustomed  to  take  in  tramps  from  .New  York?" 

'  That  depends  somewhat  upon  the  tramps.  \ 
think  the  right  leadings  are  given  us." 

11  If  good  leadings  constitute  a  Friend,  I  am  OIH 
to-day,  for  I  have  been  led  to  your  home." 

Now  I'm  moved  to  preach  a  little,"  said  Mr. 
Yocomb.  "  Richard  Morton,  does  thee  realize  the 
sin  and  folly  of  overwork  ?  If  thee  works  for  thy 
self  it  is  folly.  If  thee  toils  for  the  good  of  the 
world,  and  art  able  to  do  the  world  any  good,  it  is 
sin  ;  if  there  are  loved  ones  dependent  on  thee, 


6  A    DA  J'    OF  FAT E. 


thee  may  do  them  a  wrong  for  which  there  is  no 
remedy.  Thee  looks  to  me  like  a  man  who  has 
been  overdoing." 

11  Unfortunately   there  is   no   one   dependent  on 
me,  and  I  fear  I  have  not  had  the  world's  welfare 
very  greatly  at  heart.      I   have   learned   that  I  wask 
becoming  my  own  worst  enemy,  and  so  must  plead 
guilty  of  folly." 

'  Well,  thee  doesn't  look  as  if  thee  had  sinned 
away  thy  day  of  grace  yet.  If  thee'll  take  roast- 
beef  and  common-sense  as  thy  medicine,  thee'll  see 
my  years  and  vigor." 

'  Richard  Morton,"  said  his  wife,  with  a  gentle 
gravity,  "  never  let  any  one  make  thee  believe  that 
thee  has  sinned  away  thy  day  of  grace." 

44  Mother,  thee's  very  weak  on  the  '  terrors  of 
the  law.'  Thee's  always  for  coaxing  the  transgress 
ors  out  of  the  broad  road.  Thee's  latitudinarian  ; 
now!" 

44  And  thee's  little  queer,  father." 

44  Emily  Warren,  am  I  queer?" 
4  You  are  very  sound  and  sensible  in  your  ad 
vice  to  Mr.  Morton,"  she  replied.  "  One  may 
very  easily  sin  against  life  and  health  beyond  the 
point  of  remedy.  I  should  judge  from  Mr.  Morton's 
words  that  he  is  in  danger." 

;<  Now,  mother,  thee  sees  that  Emily  Warren 
believes  in  the  terrors  of  the  law." 

14  Thee  wouldn't  be  a  very  good  one  at  enforcing 
them,  Emily,"  said  Mrs.  Yocomb,  nodding  her 
head  smilingly  toward  her  favorite. 

44  The    trouble    is,"    said    Miss    Warren    a    little 


77 

sadly,  "  that  some  laws  enforce  themselves.  I 
know  of  so  many  worn-out  people  in  New  York, 
both  men  and  women,  that  I  wish  that  Mr.  Yo- 
comb's  words  were  printed  at  the  head  of  all  our 
leading  newspapers." 

'  Yes,"  said  Mr.  Yocomb,  "if  editors  and  news 
paper  writers  were  only  as  eager  to  quiet  the  peo 
ple  as  they  are  to  keep  up  the  hubbub  of  the  world, 
they  might  make  their  calling  a  useful  one.  It  al 
most  takes  away  my  breath  to  read  some  of  our 
great  journals. " 

"  Do  you  not  think  laziness  the  one  pre-eminent 
vice  of  the  world  ?" 

"  Not  of  native-born  Americans.  I  think  rest 
lessness,  nervous  activity,  is  the  vice  of  our  age.  I 
am  out  of  the  whirl,  and  can  see  it  all  the  more 
clearly.  Thee  admits  that  thy  city  life  was  killing 
thee — I  know  it  would  kill  me  in  a  month." 

"  I  would  like  to  have  a  chance  to  be  killed  by 
it,"  said  Adah,  with  a  sigh. 

'  Thy  absence  would  be  fatal  to  some  in  the 
country,"  I  heard  Silas  Jones  remark,  and  with 
a  look  designed  to  be  very  reproachful. 

"  Don't  tell  me  that.  Melissa  Bunting  would 
soon  console  thee." 

'  Thee  stands  city  life  quite  well,  Emily,"  said 
Mrs.  Yocomb. 

'  Yes,  better  than  I  once  did.  I  am  learning 
how  to  live  there  and  still  enjoy  a  little  of  your 
quiet  ;  but  were  it  not  for  my  long  summers  in  the 
country  I  fear  it  would  go  hard  with  me  also." 

'You    have     suggested     my    remedy,"    I    said. 


73  A    DAY   OF  FATE, 

'  My  business  does  not  permit  much  chance  for 
rest,  ynless  it  is  taken  resolutely  ;  and,  like  many 
other  sinners,  I  have  great  reforms  in  contempla 
tion.  " 

It  must  be  a  dreadful  business  that  came  so 
near  killing  you,"  Adah  remarked,  looking  at  me 
curiously.  '  What  can  it  be  ?" 

Mrs.  Yocomb  glanced  at  her  daughter  reprov 
ingly,  but  Miss  Warren's  eyes  were  dancing,  and  I 
saw  she  was  enjoying  my  rather  blank  look  im 
mensely. 

I  decided,  however,  that  honesty  and  audacity 
would  be  my  best  allies,  and  at  the  same  time  I 
hoped  to  punish  Adah  a  little  through  her  curios 
ity. 

"  I  must  admit  that  it  is  a  dreadful  business. 
Deeds  of  darkness  occupy  much  of  my  time  ;  and 
when  good,  honest  men,  like  your  father,  are 
asleep,  my  brain  and  hand  are  busiest,  Now  you 
see  what  a  suspicious  character  your  father  and 
mother  have  harbored  in  their  unquestioning  hos 
pitality.  " 

The  young  lady  looked  at  me  with  a  thoroughly 
perplexed  and  half-alarmed  expression. 

"  My  gracious  !"  she  exclaimed.  "  What  do  you 
do?" 

'  You  do  not  look  as  if  '  inclined  to  mercy,' 
I  replied.  "  Mr.  Yocomb  and  Miss  Warren  believe 
in  the  terrors  of  the  law,  so  I  have  decided  to  make 
a  full  confession  to  Mrs.  Yocomb  after  supper.  I 
think  that  I  am  one  of  the  '  transgressors  '  that  she 
could  '  coax. ' 


A    QCAKFK    TEA.  79 

After  a  momentary  and  puzzled  glance  at  my 
laughing  critic,  Mrs.  Yocomb  said, 

"  Emily  Warren  knows  thy  secret." 

"  So  you  have  told  Emily  Warren,  but  will  not 
tell  us,"  Adah  complained,  in  a  piqued  tone  and 
manner. 

"  Indeed,  you  are  mistaken.  Miss  Warren  found 
me  out  by  intuition.  I  am  learning  that  there  is 
no  occasion  to  tell  her  things  :  she  sees  them." 

Mr.  Yocomb's  face  wore  a  decidedly  puzzled 
look,  and  contained  also  the  suggestion  of  an  apt 
guess. 

"  Well,"  he  said,  "thee  has  shown  the  shrewd 
ness  of  an  editor,  and  a  Yankee  one  at  that." 

Miss  Warren  now  laughed  outright. 

"  Thee  thinks,"  he  continued,  "  that  if  thee  gets 
mother  on  thy  side  thee's  safe.  I  guess  I'll  adopt 
a  common  editorial  policy,  and  sit  safely  on  the 
fence  till  I  hear  what  mother  says  to  thy  confes 
sion." 

"  Are  you  laughing  at  me?"  I  asked  Miss  War 
ren,  with  an  injured  air. 

"  To  think  that  one  of  your  calling  should  have 
got  into  such  a  dilemma  !"  she  said,  in  a  low  tone. 
"  It's  delicious  !" 

"  My  cheeks  may  become  bronzed  but  never  bra 
zen,  Miss  Warren.  My  guileiessness  should  touch 
your  sympathies." 

"  Well,"  said  Adah,  with  rather  a  spiteful  look 
at  Miss  Warren,  "  I'm  glad  I've  not  got  a  prying 
disposition.  I  talked  with  you  half  the  afternoon 
and  did  not  find  vou  out.' 


o  A  DA  V   OF  FA  TE. 

Even  Mrs.  Yocomb  laughed  at  this. 

"  Now,  Miss  Warren,"  I  said,  turning-  to  her 
with  a  triumphant  look,  "  I  hope  you  feel  properly 
•quenched." 

"  Is  there  any  record  of  your  crime,  or  misfor 
tune,  or  whatever  it  may  be,  in  Miss  Warren's 
newspaper?"  asked  Silas  Jones,  with  a  slight  sneer. 

"  Yes,  sir,  of  both,  if  the  truth  must  be  told,"  I 
replied.  "  That  is  the  way  she  found  me  out." 

This  unexpected  admission  increased  the  per 
plexity  all  around,  and  also  added  to  Miss  Warren's 
merriment. 

"  Where  is  the  paper?"  said  Adah  quickly. 

At  this  peculiar  proof  of  his  daughter's  indiffer 
ence  Mr.  Yocomb  fairly  exploded  with  laughter. 
He  seemingly  shared  his  wife's  confidence  in  Miss 
Warren  to  that  degree  that  the  young  lady's  knowl 
edge  of  my  business,  combined  with  her  manner, 
was  a  guarantee  against  anything  seriously  wrong. 
Moreover,  the  young  girl's  laugh  was  singularly 
contagious.  Its  spontaneity  and  heartiness  were 
irresistible,  and  I  feared  that  her  singing  would  not 
be  half  so  musical. 

"  Richard  Morton,"  said  Mrs.  Yocomb,  rising, 
"  if  thee  wishes  to  free  thy  mind,  or  conscience,  or 
heart,  I  will  now  give  thee  an  opportunity." 

"  My  fate  is  in  your  hands.  If  you  send  me 
back  to  my  old  life  and  work  I  will  go  at  once." 

"  Ah  !"  exclaimed  Miss  Warren,  in  mock  gravity, 
"now  there  is  a  touch  of  tragedy  in  your  words. 
Must  we  all  hold  our  breaths  till  you  return,  ab 
solved  or  condemned  ?" 


A    QL'AA'EK    TEA.  8 1 

"  And  were  I  condemned  would  you  breathe 
freely?" 

"  Yes,  indeed  I  would,  if  Mrs.  Yocomb  con-, 
demned  you.  But  after  my  sense  of  justice  was 
satisfied  I  might  be  moved  to  pity." 

"  And  you  think  I  may  become  a  pitiable  ob 
ject  ?" 

"  You  would  be,  indeed,  if  Mrs.  Yocomb  con 
demned  you." 

"  Lead  on,"  I  exclaimed,  with  a  gesture  of  mock 
tragedy  ;  "  this  is  the  hour  of  destiny." 


CHAPTER    VII. 

A   FRIEND. 

RICHARD  MORTON, "said  Mrs.  Yocomb, 
as  she  sat  down  encouragingly  near  me  in 
the  low-studded  parlor,  "  thee  does  not  look  into 
my  eyes  as  if  thee  had  a  great  burden  on  thy  con 
science." 

"  I  have  a  great  fear  in  my  heart,"  I  said. 

"  The  two  should  go  together,"  she  remarked  a 
little  gravely  ;  "  and  strength  will  be  given  thee  to 
cast  away  both." 

The  spirit  of  jesting  left  me  at  once,  and  I  know 
that  I  looked  into  her  kind  motherly  face  very 
wistfully  and  appealingly.  After  a  moment  I 
asked, 

"  Mrs.  Yocomb,  did  you  ever  treat  an  utter 
stranger  so  kindly  before  ?" 

"  I  think  so,"  she  said,  with  a  smile.  "  Emily 
Warren  came  to  us  an  entire  stranger  and  we  al 
ready  love  her  very  much." 

"  I  can  understand  that.  Miss  Warren  is  a  gen 
uine  woman — one  after  your  own  heart.  I  was  not 
long  in  finding  that  out.  But  I  am  a  man  of  the 
world,  and  you  must  have  noted  the  fact  from  the 
first." 

11  Richard  Morton,  supposing  thee  is  a  sinner 
above  all  others  in  Galilee,  where  do  I  find  a  war 
rant  for  the  '  I  am  better  than  thou  '  spirit  ?" 


D  83 

She  said  these  words  so  gently  and  sincerely  that 
they  touched  rny  very  soul,  and  I  exclaimed, 

"If  evil  had  been  my  choice  a  thousand  years, 
you  might  win  me  from  it." 

She  shook  her  head  gravely  as  she  said, 

"  Thee  doesn't  understand.  Weak  is  the  arm  of 
flesh." 

"  But  kindness  and  charity  are  omnipotent." 

'  Yes,  if  thee  turns  to  Omnipotence  for  them. 
But  far  be  it  from  me  to  judge  thee,  Richard  Mor 
ton.  Because  thee  does  not  walk  just  where  I  am 
walking  is  no  proof  that  them  art  not  a  pilgrim." 

44  I  must  tell  you  in  all  sincerity  that  I  am  not. 
My  brain,  heart,  and  soul  have  been  absorbed  by 
the  world,  and  not  by  its  best  things  either.  Fif 
teen  years  ago,  when  scarcely  more  than  a  child,  I 
was  left  alone  in  it.  I  have  feared  it  inexpressibly, 
and  with  good  reason.  I  have  fought  it,  and  have 
often  been  worsted.  At  times  I  have  hated  it  ; 
but  as  I  began  to  succeed  I  learned  to  love  it,  and 
to  serve  it  with  an  ambition  that  gave  me  so  little 
respite  that  yesterday  I  thought  that  I  was  a  bro 
ken  and  worn-out  man.  If  ever  the  world  had  a 
slave,  I  am  one  ;  but  there  have  been  times  during 
this  June  day  when  I  earnestly  wished  that  I  might 
break  my  chains  ;  and  your  serene,  kindly  face, 
that  is  in  such  blessed  contrast  to  its  shrewd,  exact 
ing,  and  merciless  spirit,  gave  hope  from  the  first." 

"  So  thee  has  been  alone  in  the  world  since  thee 
was  a  little  boy,"  she  said,  in  a  tone  that  seemed 
the  echo  of  my  dead  mother's  voice. 

^  Since   I   was  twelve  years  of  age,"  I   replied, 


84  A  DAY   OF  FATE. 

after  a  moment,  and  looking  away.  I  could  not 
meet  her  kind  eyes  as  I  added,  "  My  mother's 
memory  has  been  the  one  good,  sacred  influence  of 
my  life  ;  but  I  have  not  been  so  true  to  it  as  I 
ought  to  have  been — nothing  like  so  true." 
Has  thee  no  near  friends  or  relatives  ?" 

"  I  have  acquaintances  by  the  hundred,  but  there 
is  no  one  to  whom  I  could  speak  as  I  have  to  you, 
whom  I  have  known  but  a  few  hours.  A  man  has 
intuitions  sometimes  as  well  as  a  woman." 

"  How  strange  it  all  is  !"  said  Mrs.  Yocomb, 
with  a  sigh,  and  looking  absently  out  of  the  win 
dow  to  where  the  sun  glowed  not  far  above  the  ho 
rizon.  Its  level  rays  lighted  up  her  face,  making  it 
so  beautiful  and  noble  that  I  felt  assured  that  I  had 
come  to  the  right  one  for  light  and  guidance. 

Every  heart  seems  to  have  its  burden  when  the 
whole  truth  is  known,"  she  added  meditatively. 

I  wonder  if  any  are  exempt.  Thee  seemed  in 
deed  a  man  of  the  world  when  jesting  at  the  table, 
but  now  I  see  thy  true  self.  Thee  is  right,  Richard 
Morton  ;  thee  can  speak  to  me  as  to  thy  friend." 

"  I  fear  your  surmise  is  true,  Mrs.  Yocomb  ;  for 
in  two  instances  to-day  have  I  caught  glimpses  of 
burdens  heavier  than  mine." 

She  looked  at  me  hastily,  and  her  face  grew  pale. 
I  relieved  her  by  quietly  continuing, 

'  Whether  you  have  a  burden  on  your  heart  or 
not,  one  thing  I  know  to  be  true — the  burdened  in 
heart  or  conscience  would  instinctively  turn  to  you. 
I  am  conscious  that  it  is  this  vital  difference  be 
tween  your  spirit  and  that  of  the  world  which  leads 


A   FRIEXLr.  85 


me  to  speak  as  I  do.  Except  as  we  master  and 
hold  our  own  in  the  world,  it  informs  us  that  we  are 
of  little  account  —  one  of  millions  ;  and  our  burdens 
and  sorrows  are  treated  as  sickly  sentimentalities. 
There  is  no  isolation  more  perfect  than  that  of  a 
man  of  the  world  among  people  of  his  own  kind, 
with  whom  manifestations  of  feeling  are  weak 
nesses,  securing  prompt  ridicule.  Reticence,  a 
shrewd  alertness  to  the  main  chance  of  the  hour, 
and  the  spirit  of  the  entire  proverb,  '  Every  man  for 
himself/  become  such  fixed  characteristics  that  I 
suppose  there  is  danger  that  the  deepest  springs  in 
one's  nature  may  dry  up,  and  no  Artesian  shaft  of 
mercy  or  truth  be  able  to  find  anything  in  a  man's 
soul  save  arid  selfishness.  In  spite  of  all  that 
conscience  can  say  against  me  —  and  it  can  say  very 
much  —  I  feel  sure  that  I  have  not  yet  reached  that 
hopeless  condition." 

"  No,  Richard  Morton,  thee  has  not." 
"  I  honestly  hope  I  never  may,  and  yet  I  fear  it. 
Perhaps  the  turning-point  has  come  when  I  must 
resolutely  look  my  old  life  and  its  tendencies  in  the 
face  and  as  resolutely  work  out  such  changes  as  true 
manhood  requires.  If  you  will  permit  a  metaphor, 
I  feel  like  a  shipmaster  whom  a  Jong-continued  and 
relentless  gale  has  driven  into  an  unexpected  and 
quiet  harbor.  Before  I  put  to  sea  again  I  would 
like  to  rest,  make  repairs,  and  get  my  true  bear 
ings,  otherwise  I  may  make  shipwreck  altogether. 
And  so,  impelled  by  my  stress  and  need,  I  venture 
to  ask  if  you  will  permit  me  to  become  an  inmate 
of  your  home  for  a  time  on  terms  similar  to  those 


A    DA  Y   OF  FA  TE, 

that  you  have  made  with  Miss  Warren.  That  you 
may  very  naturally  decline  is  the  ground  of  the  fear 
to  which  I  referred. 

"Richard  Morton,"  said  the  old  lady  heartily, 
11  thee's  welcome  to  stay  with  us  as  long  as  thee 
pleases,  and  to  come  whenever  thee  can.  The  lead 
ings  in  this  case  are  plain,  and  I  shall  pray  the  kind 
Heavenly  Father  that  all  thy  hopes  may  be  real 
ized." 

"  One  has  been  realized  truly.  You  cannot 
know  how  grateful  I  am." 

'  Thee's  welcome,  surely,  and  father  will  tell 
thee  so  too.  Come,"  and  she  led  me  out  to  the 
farther  end  of  the  veranda,  where  Mr.  Yocomb 
sat  with  Miss  Warren,  his  daughters,  and  Silas 
Jones  grouped  near  him. 

4  Well,"  exclaimed  Adah  eagerly,  "  what  is  Mr. 
Morton's  calling?  It  must,  indeed,  be  a  dreadful 
business,  since  you  have  had  such  a  long  and  serious 
time." 

Mrs.  Yocomb  looked  at  me  a  little  blankly. 

"  I  declare,"  I  exclaimed,  laughing,  "  I  forgot 
to  tell  you." 

"  Forgot  to  tell  !"  cried  Adah.  "  Why,  what 
on  earth  did  you  tell  ?  There  is  nothing  about  you 
in  this  paper  that  I  can  find." 

Mr.  Yocomb  looked  perplexed,  and  I  saw  Miss 
Warren's  quick  glance  at  Mrs.  Yocomb,  who  smiled 
back  reassuringly. 

44  Father,"  she  said,  "  Richard  Morton  wishes  to 
stay  with  us  for  a  time.  I  have  told  him  that  he 
was  welcome,  and  that  thee  would  tell  him  so  too. 


A   FRIEND.  87 

I  think   thee  will.     Thee   may  ask   him   any  ques 
tions  thee  pleases.      I  am  satisfied." 

44  Thee  is  mistress  of  thy  home,  mother,  and  if 
thee's  satisfied  I  am.  Richard  Morton,  thee's  wel 
come.  Thee  was  wise  to  get  mother  on  thy  side." 

44  So  I  instinctively  felt  ever  since  I  saw  her  at 
the  meeting-house  door." 

44  Perhaps  mother  gave  thee  a  bit  of  a  sermon  ?" 

"  She  has  given  me  two  things  that  a -man  can't 
be  a  man  without — hope  and  courage." 

44  Well,  thee  does  kind  of  look  as  if  thee  had 
plucked  up  heart." 

"  You,  too,  are  catching  the  infection  of  this 
home,"  Miss  Warren  said,  in  a  low  voice,  as  she 
stood  near  me. 

44  So  soon  ?  I  feel  that  I  shall  need  an  exposure 
of  several  weeks.  There  is  now  but  one  obstacle 
in  the  way." 

"  Ah,  yes  !  I  remember  what  you  said.  It's  time 
you  explained." 

Not  yet."     And  I  turned  and  answered  Adah's 
perplexed  and  frowning  brow. 

4  You  will  find  me  in  that  paper,  Miss  Adah,  as 
one  of  its  chief  faults.  I  am  one  of  its  editors,  and 
this  fact  will  reveal  to  you  the  calling  from  which 
I  and  many  others,  no  doubt,  have  suffered.  Thus 
you  see  that,  after  all,  I  have  revealed  my  secret  to 
you  only.  To  your  mother  I  revealed  myself.  I 
hope,  sir,  you  will  not  reverse  your  decision?"  I 
said  to  Mr.  Yocomb. 

The  old  gentleman  laughed  heartily  as  he  an 
swered,  '*  I  have  had  my  say  about  editors  in  gen- 


88  A    DA  Y  OF  FA  TE. 

eral.  Mother  and — I  may  add — something  in  thy 
own  manner,  has  inclined  me  to  except  present  com 
pany.  But  I'll  read  thy  paper  since  Emily  Warren 
takes  it,  so  thee'd  better  beware." 

I  saw  that  Adah  was  regarding  me  with  com 
placency,  and  seemed  meditating  many  other  ques 
tions.  I  had  fully  decided,  however,  that  while  I 
should  aim  to  keep  her  good  will  I  would  not  per 
mit  her  to  make  life  a  burden* by  her  inane  chatter, 
or  by  any  sense  of  proprietorship  in  me.  She  must 
learn,  as  speedily  as  possible,  that  I  was  not  one  of 
her  "  half-dozen  young  men." 

Richard  Morton,  thee  can  keep  thy  room,  and 
I  hope  thee  will  not  find  our  quiet,  homely  ways 
irksome,  since  we  cannot  greatly  change  them," 
said  my  hostess. 

"  I  have  a  request  to  make,  Mrs.  Yocomb,"  I 
replied  earnestly  ;  "  and  I  shall  derive  no  pleasure 
or  benefit  from  my  sojourn  with  you  unless  you 
grant  it.  It  is,  that  your  family  life  may  go  on 
just  the  same  as  if  I  were  not  here.  As  surely  as  I 
see  that  I  am  a  source  of  restraint  or  extra  care  and 
trouble,  you  will  drive  me  out  into  the  wilderness 
again.  You  know  why  I  wish  to  stay  with  you,"  I 
added  meaningly. 

'We  shall  take  thee  at  thy  word,"  said  Mrs. 
Yocomb,  with  a  smile  on  her  lips,  but  a  very  wist 
ful,  kindly  light  in  her  eyes. 

:<  Reuben,  tell  Richard  Morton  the  truth,"  said 
his  father.  '  Would  it  give  thee  a  great  deal  of 
trouble  or  much  pleasure  to  take  Dapple  and  drive 
to  the  village  for  friend  Morton's  valise?" 


A    FRIEXD  9 

The  youth,  who  was  a  good  natured  and  manly 
boy,  to  whom  Sundays  passed  a  trifle  slowly,  sprang 
up  with  such  alacrity  that  I  laughed  as  I  said, 
"  No  need  of  words,  Reuben,  but  I  owe  you  a  good 
turn  all  the  same."  Then  turning  to  Miss  War 
ren  I  continued, 

"You  have  been  here  a  week.  Will  your  con 
science  permit  you  to  teach  me  a  little  topography  ? 
It  would  be  no  worse  than  reading  that  news 
paper." 

M  Indeed,  I  think  it  might  be  better.  It  will  be 
a  useful  task  at  least  ;  for,  left  to  yourself,  you 
might  get  lost,  and  make  Mr.  Yocomb  no  end  of 
trouble.  Did  you  not  tell  me,  sir  (to  our  host), 
that  on  one  occasion  you  had  to  hunt  some  one  up 
with  fish-horns,  lanterns,  etc.  ?" 

"  Yes,  and  he  was  from  New  York,  too,"  said 
Mr.  Yocomb. 

44  If  I  get  lost,  leave  me  to  my  fate.  There  will 
be  one  editor  less." 

"  Very  true  ;  but  I'd  rather  have  thee  on  thy 
paper  than  on  my  conscience.  So  Emily  Warren, 
thee  look  after  him,  and  show  him  the  right  and 
proper  ways,  for  I  am  now  too  old  to  enjoy  a  night 
hunt,  even  with  the  music  of  fish-horns  to  cheer  us 
on.  I  ask  thee,  Emily,  for  some  of  thine  instead 
when  thee  comes  back." 


CHAPTER   VIII. 

THE    MYSTERY    OF    MYSTERIES. 

r  S  it  a  task,  then,  to  show  me  the  right  paths 

-L  and  proper  ways?"  I  asked,  as  we  strolled 
away,  leaving  Adah  looking  as  if — in  her  curiosity 
to  know  more  of  the  new  species,  a  night  editor — 
she  wished  Silas  Jones  in  the  depths  of  the  Dead 
Sea. 

'  That  may  depend  on  how  apt  and  interesting  a 
scholar  you  prove.  I'm  a  teacher,  you  know,  and 
teaching  some  of  my  scholars  is  drudgery,  and 
others  a  pleasure." 

"  So  I'm  put  on  my  good  behavior  at  once." 

'  You  ought  to  be  on  your  good  behavior  any 
way — this  is  Sunday." 

'Yes,  and  Jurre.  If  a  man  is  not  good  now 
he'll  never  be.  And  yet  such  people  as  Mrs.  Yo- 
comb — nor  will  I  except  present  company — make 
me  aware  that  I  am  not  good — far  from  it." 

"  I  am  glad  Mrs.  Yocomb  made  just  that  impres 
sion  on  you." 

"  Why?" 

"  Because  it  proves  you  a  better  man  than  your 
words  suggest,  and,  what  is  of  more  consequence, 
a  receptive  man.  I  should  have  little  hope  for  any 
one  who  came  from  a  quiet  talk  with  Mrs.  Yocomb 
in  a  complacent  mood  or  merely  disposed  to  indulge 
in  a  few  platitudes  on  the  sweetness  and  quaintness 
of  her  character,  and  some  sentimentalities  in  regard 


THE   MYSTERY    OF  MYSTEKIES.  91 

to  Friends.  If  the  depths  of  one's  nature  were  not 
stirred,  then  I  would  believe  that  there  were  no 
depths.  She  is  doing  me  much  good,  and  giving 
me  just  the  help  I  needed." 

I  can  honestly  say  that  she  uttered  one  sen 
tence  that  did  find  soundings  in  such  shallow  depths 
as  exist  in  my  nature,  and  I  ought  to  be  a  better 
man  for  it  hereafter." 

"  She  may  have  found  you  dreadfully  bad,  Mr. 
Morton  ;  but  I  saw  from  her  face  that  she  did  not 
find  you  shallow.  If  she  had,  you  would  not  have 
touched  her  so  deeply." 

"  I  touched  her  ?" 

Yes.  Women  understand  each  other.  Some 
thing  you  said — but  do  not  think  I'm  seeking  to 
learn  what  it  was  that  moved  her  sympathies." 

"  Oh,  she's  kind  and  sympathetic  toward  every 
poor  mortal." 

'  Very  true  ;  but  she's  intensely  womanly  ;  and 
a  woman  is  incapable  of  a  benevolence  and  sympa 
thy  that  are  measured  out  by  the  yard — so  much  to 
each  one,  according  to  the  dictates  of  judgment. 
You  were  so  fortunate  as  to  move  Mrs.  Yocomb 
somewhat,  as  she  touched  your  feelings  ;  and  you 
have  cause  to  be  glad,  for  she  can  be  a  friend  that 
will  make  life  richer." 

"  I  think  I  can  now  recall  what  excited  her  sym 
pathies,  and  may  tell  you  some  time,  that  is,  if  you 
do  not  send  me  away." 
I  send  you  away  ?" 

4  Yes,  I  told  you  that  you  were  the  one  obstacle 
to  my  remaining." 


9 2  A    DA  Y   OF  FA  TE. 

She  looked  at  me  as  if  perplexed  and  a  little  hurt. 
I  did  not  reply  at  once,  for  her  countenance  was  so 
mobile,  so  obedient  to  her  thought  and  feeling,  that 
I  watched  its  varied  expressions  with  an  interest 
that  constantly  deepened.  In  contrast  to  Adah 
Yocomb's  her  face  was  usually  pale  ;  and  yet  it  had 
not  the  sickly  pallor  of  ill-health,  but  the  clear, 
transparent  complexion  that  is  between  the  bru 
nette  and  the  blonde.  Her  eyes  were  full,  and  the 
impression  of  largeness,  when  she  looked  directly 
at  you,  was  increased  by  a  peculiar  outward  curve 
of  their  long  lashes.  Whether  her  eyes  could  be 
called  blue  I  could  not  yet  decide,  and  they  seemed 
to  darken  and  grow  a  little  cold  as  she  now  looked 
at  me  ;  but  she  merely  said,  quietly, 

"  I  do  not  understand  you." 

'*  This  was  your  chosen  resting-place  for  the  sum 
mer,  was  it  not,  Miss  Warren  ?" 

"Yes." 

'  Well,  then,  what  right  have  I,  an  entire  stran 
ger,  to  come  blundering  along  like  a  June  beetle 
and  disturb  your  rest  ?  You  did  not  look  forward 
to  associations  with  night  editors  and  like  disrepu 
table  people  when  you  chose  this  sheltered  nook  of 
the  world,  and  nestled  under  Mrs.  Yocornb's  wing. 
You  have  the  prior  right  here." 

As  I  spoke,  her  face  so  changed  that  it  reminded 
me  of  the  morning  of  this  eventful  day  when  I  first 
looked  out  upon  its  brightness,  and  as  I  ceased  her 
laugh  rang  out  heartily. 

"  So  after  all  your  fate  is  in  my  hands." 

"  It  is.     You  have  pre-empted  this  claim." 


THE  MYSTERY  OF  MYSTERIES.  93 

"  Suppose  I  am  a  little  non-committal,  and  should 
say,  You  may  spend  the  evening,  you  may  stay  till 
to-morrow  ;  would  you  be  content  ?" 

"  No,  indeed,  but  I  would  have  to  submit." 
'  Well,  this  is  rich.  Whoever  heard  of  an 
editor — and  the  shrewd,  alert,  night  editor  at  that — 
in  such  a  dilemma  !  Do  you  realize  what  an  un 
wise  step  you  have  taken  ?  Mr.  Yocomb  justly 
complimented  your  shrewdness  in  getting  Mrs.  Yo 
comb  on  your  side,  and  having  won  her  over  you 
were  safe,  and  might  have  remained  in  this  Eden  as 
long  as  you  chose.  Now  you  place  it  within  the 
power — the  caprice  even — -of  an  utter  stranger  to 
send  you  out  into  the  wilderness  again." 

I  said,  with  a  smile,  "  I  am  satisfied  that  you 
differ  from  your  mother  Eve  in  one  respect." 

Ah  !   in  what  respect  ?" 

'  You  are  not  the  kind  of  woman  that  causes 
banishment  from  Eden." 

"  You  know  very  little  about  me,  Mr.  Morton." 
I  know  that." 

She  smiled  and  looked  pleased  in  spite  of  herself. 

"  I  think  I'll  let  you  stay  till — till  to-morrow," 
she  said,  with  an  arch  side  glance  ;  then  added, 
with  a  laugh,  "  What  nonsense  we  are  talking  !  As 
if  you  had  not  as  good  a  right  to  be  here  as  I 
have." 

"  I  beg  your  pardon.  I  spoke  in  downright  sin 
cerity.  You  found  this  quiet  place  first.  In  a  large 
hotel,  all  kinds  of  people  can  meet  almost  as  they 
do  on  Broadway  ;  but  here  we  must  dwell  together 
as  one  family,  and  I  feel  that  I  have  no  right  to 


94  A  DA  }'   OF  FATE. 

force  on  you  any  association  without  your  leave, 
especially  as  you  are  here  alone.  In  a  certain 
sense  I  introduce  myself,  and  compel  you  to  meet 
me  socially  without  your  permission.  You  may 
have  formed  a  very  different  plan  for  your  sum 
mer's  rest." 

It  is  rather  rare  for  a  music-teacher  to  receive 
so  much  consideration.  It  bewilders  me  a  little." 

Pardon  me.  I  soon  discovered  that  you  pos 
sessed  woman's  highest  rank." 

'  Indeed  !  Am  I  a  princess  in  disguise  ?" 
'  You  are  more  than  many  princesses  have  been — - 
a  lady.  And,  as  I  said  before,  you  are  here  alone." 
She  turned  and  looked  at  me  intently,  and  I  felt 
that  if  I  had  not  been  sincere  she  would  have 
known  it.  It  was  a  peculiar  and,  I  eventually 
learned,  a  characteristic  act.  I  am  now  inclined  to 
think  that  she  saw  the  precise  attitude  of  my  mind 
and  feeling  toward  her  ;  but  my  awakening  interest 
was  as  far  removed  from  curiosity  as  our  natural 
desire  to  have  a  melody  completed,  the  opening 
strains  of  which  are  captivating. 

Her  face  quickly  lost  its  aspect  of  grave  scrutiny, 
and  she  looked  away,  with  a  slight  accession  of  color. 

Do  you  want  to  stay  very  much  ?"   she  asked. 

Miss  Warren,"  I  exclaimed,  and  my  expres 
sion  must  have  been  eager  and  glad,  "  you  looked  at 
me  then  as  you  would  at  a  doubtful  stranger,  and 
your  glance  was  searching.  You  looked  as  only  a 
woman  can — as  one  who  would  see  her  way  rather 
than  reason  it  out.  Now  tell  me  in  sincerity  what 
you  saw. 


THE   MYSTERY   OF  MYSTEKIES.  95 

'  You  know  from  my  manner  what  I  saw, ' '  she 
said,  smiling  and  blushing  slightly. 

"  No,  I  only  hoped  ;  I  have  not  a  woman's  eye 
sight." 

She  bit  her  lip,  contracted  her  wide,  low  brow 
for  a  moment,  then  turned  and  said  frankly, 

"  I  did  not  mean  to  be  rude  in  my  rather  direct 
glance.  Even  though  a  music-teacher,  I  have  had 
compliments  before,  and  I  have  usually  found  them 
as  empty  and  insincere  as  the  people  who  employed 
them.  I  am  somewhat  alone  in  the  world,  Mr. 
Morton,  and  I  belong  to  that  class  of  timid  and 
rather  helpless  creatures  whose  safety  lies  in  their 
readiness  to  run  to  cover.  I  have  found  truth  the 
best  cover  for  me,  situated  as  I  am.  I  aim  to  be 
just  what  I  seem — neither  more  nor  less  ;  and  I  am 
very  much  afraid  of  people  who  do  not  speak  the 
truth,  especially  when  they  are  disposed  to  say  nice 
things." 

"  And  you  saw  ?" 

"  I  saw  that,  bad  as  you  are,  I  could  trust  you," 
she  said,  laughing  ;  "  a  fact  that  I  was  glad  to  learn 
since  you  are  so  bent  on  forcing  your  society  on  us 
all  for  a  time." 

'  Thank  Heaven  !"  I  exclaimed,  "  I  thought  yes 
terday  that  I  was  a  bankrupt,  but  I  must  have  a 
little  of  the  man  left  in  me  to  bave  passed  this  or 
deal.  Had  I  seen  distrust  in  your  eyes  and  conse 
quent  reserve  in  your  manner,  I  should  have  been 
sorely  wounded." 

"  No,"  she  replied,  shaking  her  head,  "  when  a 
man's  character  is  such  as  to  excite  distrust,  he 


9  6  A  DA  Y  OF  FA  TE. 

could    not    be    so    sorely    wounded    as    you    sug 
gest-" 

'  I'm  not  sure  of  that,"  I  said.  "  I  think  a  man 
may  know  himself  to  be  weak  and  wicked,  and  yet 
suffer  greatly  from  such  consciousness." 

*  Why  should  he  weakly  suffer?  Why  not  sim 
ply  do  right  ?  I  can  endure  a  certain  amount  of 
honest  wickedness,  but  there  is  a  phase  of  moral 
weakness  that  I  detest,"  and  for  a  moment  her 
face  wore  an  aspect  that  would  have  made  any  one 
wronging  her  tremble,  for  it  was  pure,  strong,  and 
almost  severe. 

'  I  do  believe,"  I  said,  "  that  men  are  more  mer 
ciful  to  the  foibles  of  humanity  than  women." 

'  You  are  more  tolerant,  perhaps.  Ah  !  there's 
Dapple,"  and  she  ran  to  meet  the  spirited  horse 
that  was  coming  from  the  farmyard.  Reuben,  driv 
ing,  sat  confidently  in  his  light  open  wagon,  and 
his  face  indicated  that-  he  and  the  beautiful  animal 
he  could  scarcely  restrain  shared  equally  in  their 
enjoyment  of  young,  healthful  life.  I  was  alarmed 
to  see  Miss  Warren  run  forward,  since  at  the  mo 
ment  Dapple  was  pawing  the  air.  A  second  later 
she  was  patting  his  arched  neck  and  rubbing  her 
cheek  against  his  nose.  He  looked  as  if  he  liked 
it.  Well  he  might. 

"Oh,  Reuben,"  she  cried,  'I  envy  you.  I 
haven't  seen  a  horse  in  town  that  could  compare 
with  Dapple." 

The  young  fellow  was  fairly  radiant   as  he  drove 
away.     „ 
She  looked  after  him  wistfully,  and  drew  a  long  sigh. 


THE  MYSTERY  OF  MYSTERIES.  97 

"  Ah  !"  she  said,  "they  do  me  good  after  my 
city  life.  There's  life  for  you,  Mr.  Morton — full, 
overflowing,  innocent  life — in  the  boy  and  in  the 
horse.  Existence,  motion,  is  to  them  happiness.  It 
seems  a  pity  that  both  must  grow  old  and  weary  ! 
My  hand  fairly  tingles  yet  from  my  touch  of  Dap- 
pie's  neck,  he  was  so  alive  with  spirit.  What  is  it 
that  animated  that  great  mass  of  flesh  and  blood, 
bone  and  sinew,  making  him  so  strong,  yet  so 
gentle.  At  a  blow  he  would  have  dashed  every 
thing  to  pieces,  but  he  is  as  sensitive  to  kindness  as 
I  am.  I  sometimes  half  think  that  Dapple  has  as 
good  a  right  to  a  soul  as  I  have.  Perhaps  you  are 
inclined  toward  Turkish  philosophy,  and  think  so 
too." 

I  should  be  well  content  to  go  to  the  same  hea 
ven  that  receives  you  and  Dapple.  You  are  very 
fearless,  Miss  Warren,  thus  to  approach  a  rearing 
horse." 

Her  answer  was  a  slight  scream,  and  she  caught 
my  arm  as  if  for  protection.  At  the  moment  I 
spoke  a  sudden  turning  in  the  lane  brought  us  face 
to  face  with  a  large  matronly  cow  that  was  quietly 
ruminating  and  switching  away  the  flies.  She 
turned  upon  us  her  large,  mild,  "  Juno-like"  eyes, 
in  which  one  might  imagine  a  faint  expression  of 
surprise,  but  nothing  more. 

My  companion  was  trembling,  and  she  said  hur 
riedly, 

"  Please  let  us  turn  back,  or  go  some  other  way." 

"Why,  Miss  Warren,"  I  exclaimed,  "what  is 
the  matter  ?" 


98  A    DAY  OF  FA  TE. 

'  That  dreadful  cow  !  Cows  are  my  terror/' 
I  laughed  outright  as  I  said,  *'  Now  is  the  time 
for  me  to  display  courage,  and  prove  that  an  editor 
can  be  the  knight-errant  of  the  age.  Upon  my 
soul,  Miss  Warren,  I  shall  protect  you  whatever 
horn  of  this  dilemma  I  may  be  impaled  upon." 
Then  advancing  resolutely  toward  the  cow,  I  added, 
"  Madam,  by  your  leave,  we  must  pass  this  way." 
At  my  approach  the  "  dreadful  cow"  turned  and 
ran  down  the  lane  to  the  pasture  field,  in  a  gait 
peculiarly  feminine. 

"  Now  you  know  what  it  is  to  have  a  protector, " 
I  said,  returning. 

'  I'm  glad  you're  not  afraid  of  cows,"  she  re 
plied  complacently.  '  I  shall  never  get  over  it. 
They  are  my  terror." 

'  There  is  one  other  beast,"  I  said,  "  that  I  am 
sure  would  inspire  you  with  equal  dread." 

"  I  know  you  are  going  to  say  a  mouse.  Well, 
it  may  seem  very  silly  to  you,  but  I  can't  help  it. 
I'm  glad  I  wasn't  afraid  of  Dapple,  for  you  now  can 
think  me  a  coward  only  in  streaks." 

'  It  does  appear  to  me  irresistibly  funny  that 
you,  who,  alone  and  single-handed,  have  mastered 
this  great  world  so  that  it  is  under  your  foot,  should 
have  quailed  before  that  inoffensive  cow,  which  is 
harmless  as  the  milk  she  gives." 

"A  woman,  Mr.  Morton,  is  the  mystery  of  mys 
teries — the  one  problem  of  the  world  that  will 
never  be  solved.  We  even  do  not  understand  our 
selves. " 

;<  For  which   truth    I    am   devoutly  thankful.      I 


THE  MYSTERY  OF  MYSTERIES.  99 

imagine  that  instead  of  a  week,  as  Mr.  Yocomb 
said,  it  would  require  a  lifetime  to  get  acquainted 
with  some  women.  I  wish  my  mother  had  lived. 
I'm  sure  that  she  would  have  been  a  continuous 
revelation  to  me.  I  know  that  she  had  a  great  deal 
of  sorrow,  and  yet  my  most  distinct  recollection  of 
her  is  her  laugh.  No  earthly  sound  ever  had  for 
me  so  much  meaning  as  her  laugh.  I  think  she 
laughed  when  other  people  would  have  cried. 
There's  a  tone  in  your  laugh  that  has  recalled  to 
me  my  mother  again  and  again  this  afternoon." 

'  I  hope  it  is  not  a  source  of  pain,"  she  said 
gently. 

'Far  from  it,"  I  replied.  "Memories  of  my 
mother  give  me  pleasure,  but  I  rarely  meet  with 
one  to  whom  I  would  even  think  of  mentioning  her 
name." 

' '  I  do  not  remember  my  mother, ' '  she  said  sadly. 
"Come,"  I  resumed  hastily,  "you  admit  that 
you  have  been  dull  and  lonely  to-day.  Look  at 
that  magnificent  glow  in  the  west.  So  assuredly 
ended  in  brightness  the  lives  of  those  we  loved, 
however  clouded  their  day  may  have  been  at  times. 
This  June  evening,  so  full  of  glad  sounds,  is  not 
the  time  for  sad  thoughts.  Listen  to  the  robins,  to 
that  saucy  oriole  yonder  on  the  swaying  elm- 
branch.  Beyond  all,  hear  that  thrush.  Can  you 
imagine  a  more  delicious  refinement  of  sound  ?  Let 
us  give  way  to  sadness  when  we  must,  and  escape 
from  it  when  we  can.  I  would  prefer  to  continue 
up  this  shady  lane,  but  it  may  prove  too  shadowy, 
and  so  color  our  thoughts.  Suppose  we  return  to 


A    DA  Y   OF  FA  TE. 

the  farmyard,  where  Mr.  Yocomb  is  feeding  the 
chickens,  and  then  look  through  the  old  garden  to 
gether.  You  are  a  country  woman,  for  you  have 
been  here  a  week  ;  and  so  I  shall  expect  you  to 
name  and  explain  everything.  At  any  rate  you  shall 
not  be  blue  any  more  to-day  if  I  can  prevent  it. 
You  see  I  am  trying  to  reward  your  self-sacrifice  in 
letting  me  stay  till  to-morrow." 

'  You   are   so   considerate    that    I     may  let  you 
remain  a  little  longer." 

"What  is  that  fable  about  the  camel?  If  he 
once  gets  his  head  in — 

"  He  next  puts  his  foot  in  it,  is  the  sequel, 
perhaps,"  she  replied,  with  the  laugh  that  was  be 
coming  to  me  like  a  refrain  of  music  that  I  could 
not  hear  too  often. 


CHAPTER   IX.       ,  :       ,     ,  ;  r> 

"  OLD    PLOD." 

EMILY    WARREN,   why    does  thee  bring 
Richard  Morton  back  so  soon  ?"   asked  Mr. 
Yocomb,  suspending  for  a  moment   the   sweep  of 
his  hand  that  was  scattering  grain. 

'  You  are  mistaken,  sir,"  I  said  ;  '  I  brought 
Miss  Warren  back.  I  thought  she  would  enjoy  see 
ing  you  feed  the  poultry,  the  horses,  and  especially 
the  cows." 

'  Thee's  more  self-denying  than  I'd  a  been,"  he 
resumed,  with  his  humorous  twinkle.  ,  "  Don't  tell 
mother,  but  I  wouldn't  mind  taking  a  walk  with 
Emily  Warren  myself  on  a  June  evening  like  this." 
I  will  take  a  walk  with  you  whenever  you 
wish,"  laughed  Miss  Warren  ;  "  but  I'll  surely  tell 
Mrs.  Yocomb." 

"  Oh  !  I  know  I'd  get  found  out,"  said  the  old 
man,  shaking  his  head  ruefully  ;  "  I  always  do." 

"I'm  sure  you  would  if  Miss  Warren  were  here," 
I  added.  '  I'm  at  a  loss  to  know  how  early  in  the 
day  she  found  me  out." 

'  Well,  I  guess  thee's  a  pretty  square  sort  of  a 
man.  If  thee'd  been  stealing  sheep  Emily  War 
ren  wouldn't  laugh  at  thee  so  approvingly.  I'm 
finding  out  that  she  rather  likes  the  people  she 
laughs  at.  At  least,  I  take  that  view,  for  she 
laughs  at  me  a  great  deal.  I  knew  from  Emily 


102  A  DA  Y  OP*  FA  TE. 


rgri'V  lai>gh:that  thee  hadn't  anything  very  bad 
to"  teilm  other!.'/ 


,that,  at  the  time,  I  enjoyed  being 
laughed  :at—£  /rather  rare  experience.  '  ' 

'  You  needn't,  either  of  you,  plume  yourselves 
that  you  are  irresistibly  funny.  I  laugh  easily. 
Mr.  Yocomb,  why  do  you  feed  the  chickens  so 
slowly  ?  I  have  noticed  it  before.  Now  Reuben 
and  Hiram,  the  man,  throw  the  corn  all  down  at 
once." 

'  They  are  in  more  of  a  hurry  than  I  am.  I 
don't  like  to  do  anything  in  a  hurry,  least  of  all  to 
eat  my  dinner.  Now,  why  should  these  chickens, 
turkeys,  and  ducks  gobble  everything  right  down  ? 
The  corn  seems  to  taste  good  to  them  ;  so,  after  a 
handful,  I  wait  till  they  have  had  a  chance  to  think 
how  good  the  last  kernel  was  before  they  get  an 
other.  You  see  I  greatly  prolong  their  pleasure." 

"  And  in  these  intervals  you  meditate  on  Thanks 
giving  Day,  I  suppose,"  she  said. 

"  Emily  Warren,  thee's  a  good  Yankee.  I  ad 
mit  that  that  young  gobbler  there  did  suggest  a 
day  on  which  I'm  always  very  thankful,  and  with 
good  reason.  I  had  about  concluded  before  thee 
came  that,  if  we  were  both  spared  —  i.e.,  that  gob 
bler  and  I  —  till  next  November,  I  would  probably 
survive  him." 

"  How  can  you  have  the  heart  to  plan  against 
that  poor  creature's  life  so  coolly?  See  how  he 
turns  his  round,  innocent  eyes  toward  you,  as  if  in 
gratitude.  If  he  could  know  that  the  hand  that 
feeds  him  would  chop  off  his  head,  what  a  moral 


"  OLD  PLOD:'  103 

shock    he    would    sustain  !     That     upturned  beak 
should  be  to  you  like  a  reproachful  face." 

Emily  Warren,   we  expect    thee    to    eat    thy 
Thanksgiving  dinner  with  us  ;  and  that  young  gob 
bler  will  probably  be  on  the  table.      Now  what  part 
of  him  will  thee  take  on  that  occasion  ?" 
"  A  piece  of  the  breast,  if  you  please." 
'"  Richard  Morton,  is  not  Emily  Warren  as  false 
and  cruel  as  I  am  ?" 
'  Just  about." 

"  Is  thee  not  afraid  of  her?" 
"  I  would  be  if  she  were  unfriendly." 
"  Oh,   thee    thinks    everybody  in  this  house  is 
friendly.   Emily  Warren,  thee  must  keep  up  our  good 
name, ' '  he  added,  with  a  mischievous  nod  toward  her. 
"  Mr,  Yocomb,  you  are  forgetting  the  chickens 
altogether.     There  are  some  staid  and  elderly  hens 
that  are  going  to  bed  in  disgust,   you  have  kept 
them  waiting  so  long." 

'*  See  how  quick  they'll  change  their  minds,"  he 
said,  as  he  threw  down  a  handful  of  corn.  '*  Now 
isn't  that  just  like  a  hen  ?"  he  added,  as  they  hast 
ened  back. 

4<  And  just  like  a  woman  also,  I'm  sure  you  want 
to  suggest,"  said  Miss  Warren. 

"  I  suppose  thee  never  changes  thy  mind." 
"  I'm  going  to  change  the  subject.  Poultry  with 
their  feathers  on  don't  interest  me  very  much. 
The  male  birds  remind  me  of  a  detestable  class  of 
conceited  men,  that  one  must  see  daily  in  the  city, 
whose  gallantly  is  all  affectation,  and  who  never 
for  a  moment  lose  sight  of  themselves  or  their  own 


104  A  DAY  OF  FATE. 

importance.  That  strutting  gobbler  there,  Mr. 
Morton,  reminds  me  of  certain  eminent  statesmen 
whom  your  paper  delights  to  honor,  and  I  imagine 
that  that  ridiculous  creature  embodies  their  idea  of 
the  American  eagle.  Then  the  hens  have  such  a 
simple,  unthinking  aspect.  They  act  as  if  they  ex 
pected  to  be  crowed  over  as  a  matter  of  course  ; 
and  thus  typify  the  followers  of  these  statesmen, 
who  are  so  pre-eminent  in  their  own  estimation. 
Their  exalted  perches  seem  to  be  awarded  unques- 
tioningly." 

"  So  you  think,  Miss  Warren,  that  I  have  the 
simple,  unthinking  aspect  typified  by  the  physiog 
nomy  of  these  hens  ?" 

"  Mr.  Morton,  I  was  generalizing.  We  always 
except  present  company.  Remember,  I  disagree 
with  your  paper,  not  you  ;  but  why  you  look  up  to 
these  human  species  of  the  gobbler  is  something  I 
can't  understand,  and  being  only  a  woman,  that 
need  not  seem  strange  to  you." 

"  Since  I  must  tell  you  the  truth  on  all  occa 
sions,  nolens  volens,  you  have  hit  on  a  subject 
wherein  I  differ  from  my  paper.  Human  phases  of 
the  gobbler  are  not  pleasant.'1' 

"  But  the  turkey  phase  is,  very,'*  said  Mr.  Yo- 
comb,  throwing  a  handful  of  corn  down  before  his 
favorite,  which,  like  certain  eminent  statesmen,  im 
mediately  looked  after  his  own  interests. 

"  Mr.  Yocomb,  please,  let  me  help  you  feed  the 
horses,"  said  Miss  Warren,  leading  the  way  into 
the  barn,  where  on  one  side  were  mows  for  hay  and 
grain,  and,  on  the  other,  stalls  for  several  horses. 


"OLD  PLOD."  105 

The  sleek  and  comfortable  animals  seemed  to  know 
the  young  girl,  for  they  thrust  out  their  black  and 
brown  noses  toward  her  and  projected  their  ears, 
instead  of  laying  them  back  viciously,  as  when  I 
approached  ;  and  one  old  plough-horse  that  had 
been  much  neglected,  until  Miss  Warren  began  to 
pet  him,  gave  a  loud  ecstatic  whinny. 

"  Oh,  you  big,honest  old  fellows  !"  she  exclaimed, 
caressing  one  and  another,  "I'd  rather  teach  you 
than  half  my  pupils." 

In  which  half  do  you  place  me  ?"   I  asked. 

4  You  ?  oh,  I  forgot  ;  I  was  to  teach  you  topog 
raphy.  I  will  assign  you  by  and  by,  after  you 
have  had  few  lessons." 

"  A  man  ought  to  do  as  well  as  a  horse,  so  I 
hope  to  win  your  favor." 

I  wish  all  men  did  as  well  as  Mr.  Yocomb's 
horses.  They  evidently  feel  they  have  the  family 
name  and  respectability  to  keep  up.  Mr.  Yocomb, 
what  is  it  that  smells  so  sweetly  ?" 

'  That  is  the  red-top  clover  we  cut  last  week." 

"Oh,  isn't  it  good?  I  wouldn't  mind  having 
some  myself,"  and  she  snatched  down  a  fragrant 
handful  from  the  mow.  "  Here,  Old  Plod,"  she 
said,  turning  to  the  plough-horse,  "  the  world  has 
rather  snubbed  you,  as  it  has  honest  worth  before. 
Mr.  Yocomb,  you  and  Reuben  are  much  too  fond 
of  gay  horses." 

"  Shall  I  tell  Reuben  that  thee'd  rather  ride  after 
Old  Plod,  as  thee  calls  him  ?" 

"  No,  I  thank  you  ;  I'll  go  on  as  I've  begun. 
I'm  not  changeable." 


106  A    DAY  OF  FATE. 

"  Now,  Friend  Morton,  is  not  Emily  Warren  as 
bad  as  I  am  about  gay  horses  ?" 

"  I'm  inclined  to  think  she  is  about  as  bad  as  you 
are  in  all  respects." 

Emily  Warren,  thee  needn't  put  on  any  more 
airs.  Richard  Morton  thinks  thee  isn't  any  better 
than  I  am,  and  there's  nothing  under  the  sun  an 
editor  doesn't  know." 

"  I  wish  he  were  right  this  time,"  she  said,  with 
a  laugh  and  sigh  curiously  blended.  "  It  seems  to 
me,  Mr.  Yocomb,  that  you  have  grown  here  in  the 
country  like  your  clover-hay,  and  are  as  good  and 
wholesome.  In  New  York  it  is  so  different,  espe 
cially  if  one  has  no  home  life  ;  you  breathe  a  differ 
ent  atmosphere  from  us  in  more  respects  than  one. 
This  fragrant  old  barn  appears  to  me  more  of  a 
sanctuary  than  some  churches  in  which  I  have  tried 
to  worship,  and  its  dim  evening  light  more  religious. ' ' 

"  According  to  your  faith,"  I  said,  "no  shrine 
has  ever  contained  so  precious  a  gift  as  a  manger." 

"  According  to  our  faith,  if  you  please,  Mr. 
Morton." 

By  an  instinct  that  ignored  a  custom  of  the 
Friends,  but  exemplified  their  spirit,  the  old  man 
took  off  his  hat  as  he  said,  "  Yes,  friend  Morton, 
according  to  our  faith.  The  child  that  was  cradled 
in  a  manger  tends  to  make  the  world  innocent/' 

The  old  barn  has  indeed  become  a  sanctuary,  I 
thought,  in  the  brief  silence  that  followed.  Miss 
Warren  stepped  to  the  door,  and  I  saw  a  quick  ges 
ture  of  her  hands  to  her  eyes.  Then  she  turned, 
and  said,  in  her  piquant  way, 


"OLD  PLOD."  107 

"  Mr.  Yocomb,  our  talk  reminds  me  of  the  long 
grace  in  Latin  which  the  priests  said  before  meals, 
and  which  the  hungry  people  couldn't  understand. 
The  horses  are  hinting  broadly  that  oats  would  be 
more  edifying.  If  it  were  Monday,  I'd  wager  you  } 
a  plum  that  they  would  all  leave  your  oats  to  eat 
clover-hay  out  of  my  hand." 

"  We'll  arrange  about  the  bet  to-morrow,  and 
now  try  the  experiment,"  said  Mr.  Yocomb,  relaps 
ing  into  his  genial  humor  at  once. 

I  was  learning,  however,  that  a  deep,  earnest 
nature  was  hidden  by  this  outward  sheen  and  spar 
kle.  Filling  his  four-quart  measure  from  the  cob- 
\vebbed  bin,  he  soon  gave  each  horse  his  allowance. 

"  Now,  Richard  Morton,  thee  watch  her,  and  see 
that  she  doesn't  coax  too  much,  or  come  it  over 
them  with  any  unlawful  witchery.  Take  the  hay 
thyself,  Emily,  and  we'll  stand  back." 

I  went  to  the  farther  end  of  the  barn,  near  Old 
Plod,  and  stood  where  I  could  see  the  maiden's 
profile  against  the  light  that  streamed  through  the 
open  door.  Never  shall  I  forget  the  picture  I  then 
saw.  The  tall,  ample  figure  of  the  old  Quaker 
stood  in  the  background,  and  his  smile  was  broad 
and  genial  enough  to  have  lighted  up  a  dungeon. 
Above  him  rose  the  odorous  clover,  a  handful  of 
which  Miss  Warren  held  out  to  the  horse  in  the  first 
stall.  Her  lips  were  parted,  her  eyes  shining,  and 
her  face  had  the  intent,  eager  interest  of  a  child, 
while  her  attitudes  and  motions  were  full  of  un 
studied  and  unconscious  grace. 

The  first  horse  munched  stolidly  away  at  his  oats. 


io8  A   DAY  OF  FATE. 

She  put  the  tempting  wisp  against  his  nose,  at 
which  he  laid  back  his  ears  and  looked  vicious. 
She  turned  to  Mr.  Yocomb,  and  the  old  barn 
echoed  to  a  laugh  that  was  music  itself  as  she 
said, 

'  You  have  won  your  plum,  if  it  is  Sunday.  I 
shall  try  all  the  other  horses,  however,  and  thus 
learn  to  value  correctly  the  expressions  of  affec 
tion  I  have  received  from  these  long-nosed  gentle 
men." 

One  after  another  they  munched  on,  regardless 
of  the  clover.  Step  by  step  she  came  nearer  to  me, 
smiling  and  frowning  at  her  want  of  success.  My 
heart  thrilled  at  a  beauty  that  was  so  unconven 
tional  and  so  utterly  self-forgetful.  The  bloom 
ing  clover,  before  it  fell  at  a  sweep  of  the  scythe, 
was  the  fit  emblem  of  her  then,  she  looked  so 
young,  so  fair,  and  sweet. 

4  They  are  as  bad  as  men,"  she  exclaimed, 
"  who  will  forgive  any  wrong  rather  than  an  inter 
ruption  at  dinner." 

She  now  stood  at  my  side  before  Old  Plod,  that 
thus  far,  in  his  single-minded  attention  to  his  oats, 
had  seemingly  forgotten  her  presence  ;  but  as  he 
lifted  his  head  from  the  manger  ;  and  saw  her,  he 
took  a  step  forward,  and  reached  his  great  brown 
nose  toward  her,  rather  than  for  the  clover.  In 
brief,  he  said,  in  his  poor  dumb  way, 

"  I  like  you  better  than  hay  or  oats." 

The  horse's  simple,  undisguised  affection,  for 
some  reason,  touched  the  girl  deeply  ;  for  she  drop 
ped  the  hay  and  threw  her  arm  around  the  horse's 


"OLD  PLOD:'  109 

head,  leaning  her  face  against  his.     I  saw  a  tear  in 
her  eye  as  she  murmured, 

'  You  have  more  heart  than  all  the  rest  put  to 
gether.  I  don't  believe  any  one  was  ever  kind  to 
.you  before,  and  you've  been  a  bit  lonely,  like  my 
self."  Then  she  led  the  way  hastily  out  of  the 
barn,  saying,  "  Old  Plod  and  I  are  sworn  friends 
from  this  time  forth  ;  and  I  shall  take  your  advice, 
Old  Plod." 

I  was  soon  at  her  side,  and  asked, 
"  What  advice  did  Old  Plod  give  you  ?" 
For  some  inexplicable  reason  she  colored  deeply, 
then  laughed  as  she  said, 

It's  rarely  wise  to  think  aloud  ;  but  impulsive 
people  will  do  it  sometimes.  I  suppose  we  all  occa 
sionally  have  questions  to  decide  that  to  us  are  per 
plexing  and  important,  though  of  little  conse 
quence  to  the  world.  Come  ;  if  we  are  to  see  the 
old  garden,  we  must  make  the  most  of  the  fading 
light.  After  my  interview  with  Old  Plod,  I  can't 
descend  to  cows  and  pigs  „•  so  good-by,  Mr.  Yo~ 
comb." 


CHAPTER   X. 

A    BIT    OF    EDEN. 

'THHIS  is  my  first  entrance  into  Eden,"  I  said, 
-1-      as  we  passed  through  the  rustic  gate  made 
of  cedar  branches   and  between  posts  green  with 
American  ivy. 

Like  another  man,  you  won't  stay  here  long." 

"  Like  Adam,  I  shall  certainly  go  out  when  you 
do." 

'  That  will  be  before  very  long,  since  I  have 
promised  Mr.  Yocomb  some  music." 

Even  though  a  Bohemian  editor,  as  you  may 
think,  I  am  conscious  of  a  profound  gratitude  to 
some  beneficent  power,  for  I  never  could  have 
chosen  so  wisely  myself.  I  might  have  been  in 
Sodom  and  Gomorrah — for  New  York  in  contrast 
seems  a  union  of  both — receiving  reports  of  the 
crimes  and  casualties  of  the  clay,  but  I  am  here  with 
this  garden  in  the  foreground  and  music  in  the  back 
ground." 

'  You  don't  know  anything  about  the  music,  and 
you  may  yet  wish  it  so"  far  in  the  background  as  to 
be  inaudible." 

"  I  admit  that  I  will  be  in  a  dilemma  when  we 
reach  the  music,  for  no  matter  how  much  I  protest, 
you  will  know  just  what  I  think." 

"  Yes,  you  had  better  be  honest." 

"  Come,  open   for  me  the  treasures  of  your  ripe 


A    BIT  OF  EDEN.  m 

experience.  You  have  been  a  week  in  the  country. 
I  know  you  will  give  me  a  rosebud— a  rare  old- 
fashioned  one,  if  you  please,  with  a  quaint,  sweet 
meaning,  for  I  see  that  such  abound  in  this  garden, 
and  I  am  wholly  out  of  humor  with  the  latest  mode 
in  everything.  Recalling  your  taste  for  homely, 
honest  worth,  as  shown  by  your  passion  for  Old 
Plod,  I  shall  seek  a  blossom  among  the  vegetables 
for  you.  Ah,  here  is  one  that  is  sweet,  white,  and 
pretty/'  and  I  plucked  a  cluster  of  flowers  from  a 
potato-hill.  "By  the  way,  what  flower  is  this  ?" 
I  asked  demurely. 

She  looked  at  it  blankly  for  a  moment,  then  re 
marked,  with  a  smile,  "  You  have  said  that  it  was 
sweet,  white,  and  pretty.  Why  inquire  farther?" 

"  Miss  Warren,  you  have  been  a  week  in  the 
country  and  don't  know  a  potato-blossom." 

'*  Our  relations  maybe  changed,"  she  said,  "  and 
you  become  the  teacher." 

"  Oh,  here  comes  Zillah.  We  will  settle  the 
question  according  to  Scripture.  Does  it  not  say, 
'  A  little  child  shall  lead  them  ?  '  Who  are  you  so 
glad  to  see,  little  one,  Miss  Warren  or  me  ?" 

"  I  don't  know  thee  very  well  yet,"  she  said 
shyly. 

"  Do  you  know  Miss  Warren  very  well  ?" 

"  Oh,  yes,  indeed." 

"  How  soon  did  you  come  to  know  her  well  ?" 

'  The  first  day  when  she  kissed  me." 

"  I  think  that's  a  very  nice  way  of  getting  ac 
quainted.  Won't  you  let  me  kiss  you  good-night 
when  you  get  sleepy." 


1I2  A    DAY  OF  FATE. 

She  looked  at  me  with  a  doubtful  smile,  and 
said,  "  I'm  afraid  thy  mustache  will  tickle  me." 

The  birds  were  singing  in  the  orchard  near,  but 
there  was  not  a  note  that  to  my  ear  was  more  mu 
sical  than  Miss  Warren's  laugh.  I  stooped  down 
before  the  little  girl  as  I  said, 

"  Suppose  we  see  if  a  kiss  tickles  you  now,  and  if 
it  don't  now,  you  won't  mind  it  then,  you  know." 

She  came  hesitatingly  to  me,  and  gave  the  cov 
eted  salute  with  a  delicious  mingling  of  maidenly 
shyness  and  childish  innocence  and  frankness. 

"Ah!"  I  exclaimed,  "Eden  itself  contained 
nothing  better  than  that.  To  think  that  I  should 
have  been  so  honored — I  who  have  written  the 
records  of  enough  crimes  to  sink  a  world  !" 

l'  Perhaps  if  you  had  committed  some  of  them 
she  wouldn't  have  kissed  you." 

"  If  I  had  to  live  in  a  ninety-nine  story  tene 
ment-house,  as  so  many  do,  I  think  I  would  have 
committed  them  all.  Well,  I  may  come  to  it. 
Life  is  a  risky  battle  to  such  as  I,  but  I'm  in 
heaven  now." 

'  You  do  seem  very  happy,"  she  said,  looking  at 
me  wistfully. 

;<  I  am  very  happy.  I  have  given  myself  up 
wholly  to  the  influences  of  this  day,  letting  them 
sway  me,  lead  me  whithersoever  they  will.  If  this 
is  a  day  of  destiny,  no  stupid  mulishness  of  mine 
shall  thwart  the  happy  combination  of  the  stars. 
That  the  Fates  are  propitious  I  have  singular  reason 
to  hope.  Yesterday  I  was  a  broken  and  dispirited 
man.  This  evening  I  feel  the  influence  of  all  this 


BIT  OF  EDEN.  113 

glad  June  life.  Good  Mrs.  Yocomb  has  taken  me 
in  hand.  I'm  to  study  topography  with  a  teacher 
who  has  several  other  bumps  besides  that  of  lo 
cality,  and  Zillah  is  going  to  show  us  the  garden  of 
Eden." 

"  Is  this  like  the  garden  of  Eden  ?"  the  little  girl 
asked,  looking  up  at  me  in  surprise. 

"  Well,  I'm  not  sure  that  it's  just  like  it,  but  I'm 
more  than  content  with  this  garden.  In  one  re 
spect  I  think  it's  better — there  are  no  snakes  here. 
Now,  Zillah,  lead  where  you  please,  I'm  in  the  fol 
lowing  mood.  Do  you  know  where  any  of  these 
birds  live  ?  Do  you  think  any  of  them  are  at  home 
on  their  nests  ?  If  so,  we'll  call  and  pay  our  re 
spects.  When  I  was  a  horrid  boy  I  robbed  a  bird's 
nest,  and  I  often  have  a  twinge  of  remorse  for  it." 

"Do  you  want  to  see  a  robin's  nest?"  asked 
Zillah  excitedly. 

"Yes,  indeed." 

'  Then  come  and  walk  softly  when  I  do.  There's 
one  in  that  lilac-bush  there.  If  we  don't  make  a 
noise,  perhaps  we  can  see  mother  robin  on  the  nest. 
Sh — ,  sh — ,  very  softly  ;  now  lift  me  up  as  father 
did — there,  don't  you  see  her?" 

I  did  for  a  moment,  and  then  the  bird  flew  away 
on  a  swift,  silent  wing,  but  from  a  neighboring  tree 
the  paternal  robin  clamored  loudly  against  our  in 
trusion.  Nevertheless,  Zillah  and  I  peeped  in. 

"  Oh,  the  queer  little  things  !"  she  said,  "  they 
seem  all  mouth  and  swallow. 

"  Mrs.  Robin  undoubtedly  thinks  them  lovely. 
Miss  Warren,  you  are  not  quite  tall  enough,  and 


H4  A   DAY   OF  FATE. 

since  I  can't  hold  you  up  like  Zillah,  I'll  get  a  box 
from  the  tool-house.  Isn't  this  the  jolliest  house 
keeping  you  ever  saw  ?  A  father,  mother,  and  six 
children,  with  a  house  six  inches  across  and  open 
to  the  sky.  Compare  that  with  a  Fifth  Avenue 
mansion  !" 

"  I  think  it  compares  very  favorably  with  many 
mansions  on  the  Avenue,"  she  said,  after  I  returned 
with  a  box  and  she  had  peered  for  a  moment  into 
the  roofless  home. 

]i  I  thought  you  always  spoke  the  truth,"  I  re 
marked,  assuming  a  look  of  blank  amazement. 

"  Well,  prove  that  I  don't." 

Do  you  mean  to  say  that  you  think  that  a 
simple  house,  of  which  this  nest  is  the  type,  com 
pares  favorably  with  a  Fifth  Avenue  mansion  ?" 

"I  do." 

"  What  do  you  know  about  such  mansions  ?" 

"  I  have  pupils  in  some  of  the  best  of  them." 

"  I  hear  the  voices  of  many  birds,  but  you  are 
the  rara  avis  of  them  all,"  I  said,  looking  very  in 
credulous. 

"  Not  at  all  ;  I  am  simply  matter-of-fact.  Which 
is  worth  the  more,  a  furnished  house  or  the  grow 
ing  children  in  it  ?" 

"  The  children  ought  to  be." 
'  Well,  many  a  woman  has  so  much  house  and 
furniture  to  look  after  that  she  has  no  time  for  her 
children.  The  little  brown  mother  we  have  fright 
ened  away  can  give  nearly  all  her  time  to  her  chil 
dren  ;  and,  by  the  way,  they  may  take  cold  unless 
we  depart  and  let  her  shelter  them  again  with  her 


A    BIT  OF  EDEN.  11$ 

warm  feathers.  Besides,  the  protesting  paterfa 
milias  on  the  pear-tree  there  is  not  aware  of  our 
good  will  toward  him  and  his,  and  is  naturally  very 
anxious  as  to  what  we  human  monsters  intend. 
The  mother  bird  keeps  quiet,  but  she  is  watching 
us  from  some  leafy  cover  with  tenfold  his  anxiety." 

"  You  will  admit,  however,  that  the  man  bird  is 
doing  the  best  he  can." 

"  Oh,  yes,  I  have  a  broad  charity  for  all  of  his 
kind." 

'  Well,  I  am  one  of  his  kind,  and  so  shall  take 
heart  and  bask  in  your  general  good  will.  Stop 
your  noise,  old  fellow,  and  go  and  tell  your  wife 
that  she  may  come  home  to  the  children.  I  differ 
from  you,  Miss  Warren,  as  I  foresee  I  often  shall. 
You  are  not  matter-of-fact  at  all.  You  are  uncon 
ventional,  unique — 

'  Why  not  say  queer,  and  give  your  meaning  in 
good  plain  English  ?" 

"  Because  that  is  not  my  meaning.  I  fear  you 
are  worse — that  you  are  romantic.  Moreover,  I  am 
told  that  girls  who  dote  on  love  in  a  cottage  all 
marry  rich  men  if  the  chance  comes." 

She  bit  her  lip,  colored,  and  seemed  annoyed, 
but  said,  after  a  moment's  hesitation,  "  Well,  why 
shouldn't  they,  if  the  rich  men  are  the  right  men  ?" 

"  Oh.  I  think  such  a  course  eminently  proper  and 
thrifty.  I'm  not  finding  fault  with  it  in  the  least. 
They  who  do  this  are  a  little  inconsistent,  however, 
in  shunning  so  carefully  that  ideal  cottage,  over 
which,  as  young  ladies,  they  had  mild  and  poetic 
raptures.  Now,  I  can't  associate  this  kind  of  thing 


1 1 6  A    DA  Y  OF  FA  TE. 

with  you.  If  you  had  '  drawings  or  leadings, '  as  Mrs. 
Yocomb  would  say,  toward  a  Fifth  Avenue  mansion, 
you  would  say  so  in  effect.  I  fear  you  are  romantic, 
and  are  under  the  delusion  that  love  in  a  cottage 
means  happiness.  You  have  a  very  honest  face, 
and  you  looked  into  that  nest  as  if  you  liked 
it." 

"  Mr.  Morton,"  she  said,  frowning  and  laughing 
at  the  same  time,  "  I'm  not  going  to  be  argued  out 
of  self-consciousness.  If  we  don't  know  what  we 
know,  we  don't  know  anything.  I  insist  upon  it  that 
I  am  utterly  matter-of-fact  in  my  opinions  on  this 
question.  State  the  subject  briefly  in  prose.  Does 
a  family  exist  for  the  sake  of  a  home,  or  a  home  for 
the  sake  of  a  family  ?  I  know  of  many  instances 
in  which  the  former  of  these  suppositions  is  true. 
The  father  toils  and  wears  himself  out,  often  gam 
bles — speculating,  some  call  it — and  not  unfre- 
quently  cheats  and  steals  outright  in  order  to  keep 
up  his  establishment.  The  mother  works  and  wor 
ries,  smooths  her  wrinkled  brow  to  curious  visitors, 
burdens  her  soul  with  innumerable  deceits,  and  en 
slaves  herself  that  her  house  and  its  belongings  may 
be  as  good  or  a  little  better  than  her  neighbor's. 
The  children  soon  catch  the  same  spirit,  and  their 
souls  become  absorbed  in  wearing  apparel.  They 
are  complacently  ignorant  concerning  topics  of  gen 
eral  interest  and  essential  culture,  but  would  be 
mortified  to  death  if  suspected  of  being  a  little  off 
on  '  good  form'  and  society's  latest  whims  in 
mode.  It  is  a  dreary  thraldom  to  mere  things  in 
which  the  soul  becomes  as  material,  narrow,  and 


A    BIT  OF  EDEN.       •  117 

hard  as  the   objects  which   absorb  it.     There  is  no 
time  for  that  which  gives  ideality  and  breadth." 

"  Do  you  realize  that  your  philosophy  would  stop 
half  the  industries  of  the  world  ?  Do  you  not  be 
lieve  in  large  and  sumptuously-furnished  houses?" 
'  Yes,  for  those  who  have  large  incomes.  One 
may  live  in  a  palace,  and  yet  not  be  a  slave  to  the 
palace.  Our  home  should  be  as  beautiful  as  our 
taste  and  means  can  make  it  ;  but,  like  the  nest 
yonder,  it  should  simply  serve  its  purpose,  leaving 
us  the  time  and  means  to  get  all  the  good  out  of 
the  world  at  large  that  we  can." 

A  sudden  cloud  of  sadness  overcast  her  face  as 
she  continued,  after  a  moment,  half  in  soliloquy, 

'  The  robins  will  soon  take  wing  and  leave  the 
nest  ;  so  must  we.  How  many  have  gone  al 
ready  !" 

"  But  the  robins  follow  the  sun  in  their  flight,"  I 
said  gently,  "  and  thus  they  find  skies  more  genial 
than  those  they  left." 

She  gave  me  a  quick,  appreciative  smile  as  she 
said, 

'  That's  a  pleasant  thought." 
'  Your  home  must  be   an  ideal  one,"  I  remarked 
unthinkingly. 

o   J 

She  colored  slightly,  and  laughed  as  she  an 
swered, 

"I'm  something  like  a  snail  ;  I  carry  my  home, 
if  not  my  house,  around  with  me.  A  music- 
teacher  can  afford  neither  a  palace  nor  a  cottage." 

I  looked  at  her  with  eager  eyes  as  I  said,  "  Par 
don  me  if  I  am  unduly  frank  ;  but  on  this  day  I'm 


n8  A   DAY   OF  FATE. 

inclined  to  follow  every  impulse,  and  say  just  what 
I  think,  regardless  of  the  consequences.  You  make 
upon  me  a  decided  impression  of  what  wre  men  call 
comradeship.  I  feel  as  if  I  had  known  you  weeks 
and  months  instead  of  hours.  Could  we  not  have 
been  robins  ourselves  in  some  previous  state  of  ex 
istence,  and  have  flown  on  a  journey  together?" 

l<  Mrs.  Yocomb  had  better  take  you  in  hand,  and 
teach  you  sobriety." 

"Yes,  this  June  air,  laden  with  the  odors  of 
these  sweet  old-style  roses  and  grape-blossoms,  in 
toxicates  me.  These  mountains  lift  me  up. 
These  birds  set  my  nerves  tingling  like  one  of  Bee 
thoven's  symphonies,  played  by  Thomas's  orchestra. 
In  neither  case  do  I  know  what  the  music  means, 
but  I  recognize  a  divine  harmony.  Never  before 
have  I  been  conscious  of  such  a  rare  and  fine  ex 
hilaration.  My  mood  is  the  product  of  an  excep 
tional  combination  of  causes,  and  they  have  culmi 
nated  in  this  old  garden.  You  know,  too,  that  I  am 
a  creature  of  the  night,  and  my  faculties  are  always 
at  their  best  as  darkness  comes  on.  I  may  seem  to 
you  obtuseness  itself,  but  I  feel  as  if  I  had  been  en 
dowed  with  a  spiritual  and  almost  unerring  discern 
ment.  In  my  sensitive  and  highly-wrought  con 
dition,  I  know  that  the  least  incongruity  or  dis 
cord  in  sight  or  sound  would  jar  painfully.  Yes, 
laugh  at  me  if  you  will,  but  nevertheless  I'm  going 
to  speak  my  thoughts  with  no  more  restraint  than 
these  birds  are  under.  I'm  going  back  for  a  mo 
ment  to  the  primitive  condition  of  society,  when 
there  were  no  disguises.  You  are  the  mystery  of 


A    BIT  OF  EDEN.  119 

this  garden — you  who  come  from  New  York,  where 
you  seem  to  have  lived  without  the  shelter  of 
home-life,  to  have  obtained  your  livelihood  among 
conventional  and  artificial  people,  and  to  whom  the 
false,  complicated  world  must  be  well  known,  and 
yet  you  make  no  more  discord  in  this  garden  than 
the  first  woman  would  have  made.  You  are  in  har 
mony  with  every  leaf,  with  every  flo\ver,  and  every 
sound  ;  with  that  child  playing  here  and  there  ; 
with  the  daisies  in  the  orchard  ;  with  the  little 
brown  mother,  whose  children  you  feared  might  take 
cold.  Hush  !"  I  said,  with  a  deprecatory  gesture, 

I  will  speak  my  mind.  Never  before  in  my  life 
have  I  enjoyed  the  utter  absence  of  concealment. 
In  the  city  one  must  use  words  to  hide  thoughts 
more  often  than  to  express  them,  but  here,  in  this 
old  garden,  I  intend  to  reproduce  for  a  brief  mo 
ment  one  of  the  conditions  of  Eden,  and  to  speak 
as  frankly  as  the  first  man  could  have  spoken.  I 
am  not  jesting  either,  nor  am  I  irreverent.  I  say, 
in  all  sincerity,  you  are  the  mystery  of  this  garden — 
you  who  come  from  New  York,  and  from  a  life  in 
which  your  own  true  womanhood  has  been  your 
protection  ;  and  yet  if,  as  of  old,  God  should  walk 
in  this  garden  in  the  cool  of  the  day,  it  seems  to 
me  you  would  not  be  afraid.  Such  is  the  im 
pression — given  without  reserve — that  you  make  on 
me — you  whom  I  have  just  seen,  as  it  were  !" 

As   she   realized  my  sincerity   she   looked  at  me 
with  an  expression  of  strong  perplexity  and  surprise. 

'Truly,  Mr.  Morton,"  she  said  slowly,  "you 
are  in  a  strange,  unnatural  mood  this  evening." 


120  A   DAY  OF  FATE. 

"  I  seem  so,"  I  replied,  "  because  absolutely 
true  to  nature.  See  how  far  astray  from  Eden  we 
all  are  !  I  have  merely  for  a  moment  spoken  my 
thoughts  without  disguise,  and  you  look  as  if  you 
doubted  my  sanity." 

I  must  doubt  your  judgment,"  she  said,  turning 
away. 

'  Then  why  should  such  a  clearly-defined  im 
pression  be  made  on  me  ?  For  every  effect  there 
must  be  a  cause." 

She  turned  upon  me  suddenly,  and  her  look  was 
eager,  searching,  and  almost  imperious  in  its  de 
mand  to  know  the  truth. 

"  Are  you  as  sincere  as  you  are  unconven 
tional  ?"  she  asked. 

I  took  off  my  hat,  as  I  replied,  with  a  smile,  "  A 
garden,  Miss  Warren,  was  the  first  sacred  place  of 
the  world,  and  never  were  sincerer  words  spoken  in 
that  primal  garden." 

She  looked  at  me  a  moment  wistfully,  and  even 
tearfully.  "  I  wish  you  were  right,"  she  said, 
slowly  shaking  her  head  ;  ' '  your  strange  mood  has 
infected  me,  I  think  ;  and  I  will  admit  that  to  be 
true  is  the  struggle  of  my  life,  but  the  effort  to  be 
true  is  often  hard,  bitterly  hard,  in  New  York.  I  ad 
mit  that  for  years  truthfulness  has  been  the  goal  of 
my  ambition.  Most  young  girls  have  a  father  and 
mother  and  brothers  to  protect  them  :  I  have  had 
only  the  truth,  and  I  cling  to  it  with  the  instinct  of 
self-preservation. " 

'  You  cling  to  it  because  you  love  it.  Pardon 
me,  you  do  not  cling  to  it  at  all.  Truth  has  be- 


A    BIT   OF  ED  EX.  121 

come  the  warp  and  woof  of  your  nature.  Ah  ! 
here  is  your  emblem,  not  growing  in  the  garden, 
but  leaning  over  the  fence  as  if  it  would  like  to 
come  in,  and  yet,  among  all  the  roses  here,  where 
is  there  one  that  excels  this  flower?"  And  I  gath 
ered  for  her  two  or  three  sprays  of  sweetbrier, 

I  won't  mar  your  bit  of  Eden  by  a  trace  of 
affectation,"  she  said,  looking  directly  into  my  eyes 
in  a  frank  and  friendly  manner;  "I'd  rather  be 
thought  true  than  thought  a  genius,  and  I  will 
make  allowance  for  your  extravagant  language  and 
estimate  on  the  ground  of  your  intoxication.  You 
surely  see  double,  and  yet  I  am  pleased  that  in 
your  transcendental  mood  I  do  net  reem  to  make 
discord  in  this  old  garden.  This  will  seem  to  you 
a  silly  admission  after  you  leave  this  place  and  re 
cover  your  every -day  senses.  I'm  sorry  already  I 
made  it — but  it  was  such  an  odd  conceit  of 
yours  !"  and  her  heightened  color  and  glowing  face 
proved  how  she  relished  it. 

It  was  an  exquisite  moment  to  me.  The  woman 
showed  her  pleasure  as  frankly  as  a  happy  child.  I 
had  touched  the  keynote  of  her  character  as  I  had 
that  of  Adah  Yocomb's  a  few  hours  before,  and  in 
her  supreme  individuality  Emily  Warren  stood  re 
vealed  before  me  in  the  garden. 

She  probably  saw  more  admiration  in  my  face 
than  she  liked,  for  her  manner  changed  suddenly. 

"  Being  honest  doesn't  mean  being  made  of 
glass,"  she  said  brusquely  ;  "  you  don't  know  any 
thing  about  me,  Mr.  Mor'on.  You  have  simply 
discovered  that  I  have  not  a  leaning  toward  prevar- 


122  A   DAY   (>/>'  FATE. 

ication.  That's  all  your  fine  words  amount  to. 
Since  I  must  keep  up  a  reputation  for  telling  the 
truth,  I'm  obliged  to  say  that  you  don't  remind  me 
of  Adam  very  much." 

"  No,  I  probably  remind  you  of  a  night  editor, 
ambitious  to  be  smart  in  print." 

She  bit  her  lip,  colored  a  little.  "  I  wasn't 
thinking  of  you  in  that  light  just  then,"  she  said. 
"  And — and  Adam  is  not  my  ideal  man." 

"  In  what  light  did  you  see  me  ?" 

"  It  is  growing  dusky,  and  I  won't  be  able  to  see 
you  at  all  soon." 

'  That's  evasion." 

"  Come,  Mr.  Morton,  I  hope  you  do  not  propose 
to  keep  up  Eden  customs  indefinitely.  It's  time 
we  returned  to  the  world  to  which  we  belong. " 

"  Zillah  !"  called  Mrs.  Yocomb,  and  we  saw  her 
coming  down  the  garden  walk. 

"  Bless  me  !  where  is  the  child  !"   I  exclaimed. 

'  When  you  began  to  soar  into  the  realms  of 
melodrama  and  forget  the  garden  you  had  asked 
her  to  show  you,  she  sensibly  tried  to  amuse  her 
self.  She  is  in  the  strawberry-bed,  Mrs.  Yo 
comb.  " 

'  Yes,"  I  said,  "  I  admit  that  I  forgot  the  gar 
den  ;  I  had  good  reason  to  do  so." 

"  I  think  it  is  time  we  left  the  garden.  You 
must  remember  that  Mrs.  Yocomb  and  I  are  not 
night  editors,  and  cannot  see  in  the  dark." 

"  Mother,"  cried  Zillah.  coming  forward,  "  see 
what  I  have  found  ;"  and  her  little  hands  were  full 
of  ripe  strawberries.  "If  it  wasn't  getting  so 


A    BIT   OF  EDEJV.  123 

dark    I    could    have    found    more,   I'm  sure,"    she 
added. 

"  What,  giving  them  all  to  me?"  Miss  Warren 
exclaimed,  as  Zillah  held  out  her  hands  to  her 
favorite.  '  Wouldn't  it  be  nicer  if  we  all  had 
some  ?" 

4  Who  held  you  up  to  look  into  the  robin's 
nest?"  I  asked  reproachfully. 

'  Thee  may  give  Richard  Morton  my  share,"  said 
the  little  girl,  trying  to  make  amends. 

I  held  out  my  hand,  and  Miss  Warren  gave  me 
half  of  them, 

'*  Now  these  are  mine  ?"   I  said  to  Zillah. 

"Yes!" 
'  Then  I'll  do  what  I  please  with  them." 

I  picked  out  the  largest,  and  stooping  down  be 
side  her,  continued,  "You  must  eat  these  or  I 
won't  eat  any." 

'  Thee's  very  like  Emily  Warren,"  the  little  girl 
laughed  ;  "  thee  gets  around  me  before  I  know 
it." 

"  I'll  give  you  all  the  strawberries  for  that  com 
pliment." 

"  No,  thee  must  take  half." 

"  Mrs.  Yocomb,  you  and  I  will  divide,  too. 
Could  there  possibly  be  a  more  delicious  combina 
tion  !"  and  Miss  Warren  smacked  her  lips  apprecia 
tively. 

'  The  strawberry  was  evolved  by  a  chance  com 
bination  of  forces,"  I  remarked. 

Undoubtedly,"  added   Miss  Warren,  "so  was 
my  Geneva  watch." 


124  A    DAY   OF  FA  TF. 

''  I  like  to  think  of  the  strawberry  in  this  way," 
said  Mrs.  Yocomb.  '  There  are  many  things  in 
the  Scriptures  hard  to  understand  ;  so  there  are  in 
Nature.  But  we  all  love  the  short  text,  '  God  is 
love.'  The  strawberry  is  that  text  repeated  in 
Nature. " 

Mrs.  Yocomb,  you   could  convert  infidels  and 
pagans  with  a  gospel  of  strawberries,"  I  cried. 

'  There  are  many  Christians  who  prefer  tobacco, " 
said  Mrs.  Yocomb,  laughing. 

'  That  reminds  me,"  I  exclaimed,  "  that  I  have 
not  smoked  to  day.  I  fear  I  shall  fall  from  grace 
to-morrow,  however." 

'  Yes,  I  imagine  you  will  drop  from  the  clouds 
by  to  morrow,"  Miss  Warren  remarked. 

By  the   way,  what  a  fnagnificent   cloud  that  is 
rising  above  the  horizon  in  the  south-west.      It  ap 
pears  like  a  solitary  headland  in  an  azure  sea." 
4<  Ah — h  !"   she  said,  in  satirical  accent. 
"  Mrs.  Yocomb,  Miss  Warren  has  been  laughing 
at  me   ever  since   I    came.      I   may  have  to   claim 
your  protection." 

"  No  I.thee  and  father  are  big  enough  to  take 
care  of  yourselves." 

Emily  Warren,    is  thee    and    Richard    Morton 
both  lost?"   called   Mr.   Yocomb  from   the  piazza. 
'  I   can't  find  mother  either.      If  somebody   don't 
come  soon  I'll  blow  the  fish-horn." 

'We're  all  coming,"  answered  Mrs.  Yocomb, 
and  she  led  the  way  toward  the  house. 

'  You  have  not  given  me  a  rose  yet,"  I  said  to 
Miss  Warren. 


A  BI  r  <.>/•  EDJ-:.\.  125 

Must  you  have  one  ?" 

"  A  man  never  uses  the  word  '  must  '  in  seeking 
favors  from  a  lady." 

"  Adroit  policy  !  Well,  what  kind  of  a  one  do 
you  want  ?" 

I  told  you  long  ago." 

"  Oh,  I  remember.  An  old-fashioned  one,  with 
a  pronounced  meaning.  Here  is  a  York  and  Lan 
caster  bud.  That  has  a  decided  old-style  mean 
ing.  " 

'It  means  war,  does  it  not  ?" 
'•'  Yes." 

'  I    won't   take   it.      Yes    I    will,    too,"  I  said,  a 
second  later,  and   I   took   the   bud    from  her  hand. 
'  You   know   the  law  of  war,"  1  added  :  "  To  the 
victor  belong  the  spoils." 

r5he  gave  me  a  quick  glance,  and  after  a  moment 
said,  a  trifle  coldly, 

'  That  remark  seems  bright,  but  it  does  not 
mean  anything. " 

'  It  often  means  a  great  deal.  There,  I'm  out 
of  the  garden  and  in  the  ordinary  world  again.  I 
wonder  if  I  shall  ever  have  another  bit  of  Eden  in 
my  life." 

"  Oh,  indeed  you  shall.      I  will  ask  Mr.  Yocomb 
to  give  you  a  day's  weeding  and  hoeing  there." 
'  What  will  you  do  in  the  mean  time  ?" 
Sit  under  the  arbor  and  laugh  at  you." 
Agreed.      But   suppose   it   was  hot  and  I  grew 
very  tired,  what  would  you  do  ?" 

'  I  fear  I  would  have  to  invite  you  under  the 
arbor." 


126  A    DAY   OF  FATE. 

'  You  fear?" 

'  Well,  1   would  invite  you   if  you  had  been  of 
real  service  in  the  garden." 

'  That  would  be  Eden  unalloyed." 
"  Since  I  am  not  intoxicated,  I  cannot  agree  with 
you." 


CHAPTER  XI. 

M  MOVED." 

MR.  YOCOMB,"  I  said,  as  we  mounted  the 
piazza,  "  what  is  the  cause  of  the  smoke 
rising  above  yonder  mountain  to  the  east  of  us  ?  I 
have  noticed  it  several  times  this  afternoon,  and  it 
seems  increasing." 

"  That  mountain  'was  on  fire  on  Saturday.  I 
hoped  the  rain  of  last  night  would  put  it  out,  but 
it  was  a  light  shower,  and  the  fire  is  under  headway 
again.  It  now  seems  creeping  up  near  the  top  of 
the  mountain,  for  I  think  I  see  a  faint  light." 

"  1  do  distinctly  ;  the  mountain  begins  to  remind 
me  of  a  volcano." 

"  The  moon  will  rise  before  very  long,  and  you 
may  be  treated  to  a  grand  sight  if  the  fire  burns,  as 
I  fear  it  will." 

44  This  is  a  day  of  fate,"  I  said,  laughing,  "  and 
almost  any  event  that  could  possibly  happen  would 
not  surprise  me." 

"  It  has  seemed  a  very  quiet  day  to  me,"  said 
the  old  gentleman.  "  Neither  mother  nor  any  one 
on  the  high  seat  had  a  message  for  us  this  morning, 
and  this  afternoon  I  took  a  very  long  nap.  If  thee 
had  not  come  and  stirred  us  up  a  little,  and  Emily 
Warren  had  not  laughed  at  us  both,  I  would  call  it 
almost  a  dull  day,  as  far  as  any  peaceful  day  can  be 
dull.  Such  days,  ho\vever,  are  quite  to  my  mind, 
and  thee'll  like  'em  better  when  thee  sees  my  age." 


128  A  DAY   OF  FA'J  E. 

"I'm  inclined  to  think,"  I  replied,  "that  the 
great  events  of  life  would  rarely  make  even  an  item 
in  a  newspaper. 

Mrs.  Yocomb  looked  as  if  she  understood  me,  but 
Miss  Warren  remarked,  with  a  mischievous  glance, 

'  Personals  are  generally  read." 

"  Editors  gossip  about  others,  not  themselves/' 

'  You  admit  they  gossip." 

'  That  one  did  little  else  seems  your  impression." 

'*  News  and  gossip  are  different  things  ;  but  I'm 
glad  your  conscience  so  troubles  you  that  you  exag 
gerate  my  words." 

"  Emily  Warren,  thee  can  squabble  with  Richard 
Morton  all  day  to-morrow  after  thy  amiable  fashion, 
but  I'm  hankering  after  some  of  thy  music.  ' 

I  will  keep  you  waiting  no  longer,  sir,  and 
would  have  come  before,  but  I  did  not  wish  you  to 
see  Mr.  Morton  wrhile  he  was  in  a  very  lamentable 
condition." 

11  Why,  what  was  the  matter  with  him  ?"  asked 
Adah,  who  had  just  joined  us  in  the  lighted  hall  ; 
"  he  seems  to  have  very  queer  complaints." 

"  He  admits  that  he  was  intoxicated,  and  he  cer 
tainly  talked  very  strangely." 

Miss  Adah,  did  I  talk  strangely  or  wildly  this 
afternoon  ?" 

"  No,  indeed,  I  think  you  talked  very  nicely  ;  and 
I  told  Silas  Jones  that  I  never  met  a  gentleman  be 
fore  who  looked  at  things  so  exactly  as  I  did." 

This  was  dreadful.  I  saw  that  Miss  Warren  was 
full  of  suppressed  merriment,  and  was  glad  that 
Mrs.  Yocomb  was  in  the  parlor  lighting  th?  ln:np~- 


"  MQVEDr  129 

11  I  suppose  Mr.  Jones  was  glad  to  hear  what  you 
said,"  I  remarked,  feeling  that  I  must  say  some 
thing. 

"  He  may  have  been,  but  he  did  not  look  so." 

"  Mr.  Yocomb,  you  have  your  daughter's  testi 
mony  that  I  was  sober  this  afternoon,  and  since 
that  time  I  have  enjoyed  nothing  stronger  than  milk 
and  the  odor  of  your  old-fashioned  roses.  If  I  was 
in  a  lamentable  condition  in  the  garden,  Miss  War 
ren  was  the  cause,  and  so  is  wholly  to  blame." 

"  Emily  Warren,  does  thee  know  that  thy 
mother  Eve  made  trouble  in  a  garden  ?" 

"  I've  not  the  least  intention  of  taking  Mr.  Mor 
ton  out  of  the  garden.  He  may  go  back  at  once, 
and  I  have  already  suggested  that  you  would  give 
him  plenty  of  hoeing  and  wreeding  there." 

"I'm  not  so  sure  about  that  ;  I  fear  he'd  make 
the  same  havoc  in  my  garden  that  I'd  make  in  his 
newspaper. " 

'  Then  you  think  an  editor  has  no  chance  for 
Eden?" 

*  Thee  had  better  talk  to  mother  about  that.  If 
there's  any  chance  for  thee  at  all  she'll  give  thee 
hope.  Now,  Emily  Warren,  we  are  all  ready. 
Sing  some  hymns  that  will  give  us  all  hope — no, 
sing  hymns  of  faith." 

Adah  took  a  seat  on  the  sofa,  and  glanced  en 
couragingly  at  me,  but  I  found  a  solitary  chair  by 
an  open  window,  where  I  could  look  out  across  the 
valley  to  the  burning  mountain,  and  watch  the 
stars  come  out  in  the  darkening  sky.  Within  I 
faced  Miss  XVarren's  profile  and  the  family  group. 


13°  A  DAY   OF  FA  7Y". 

I  had  not  exaggerated  when  I  told  Miss  Warren 
that  I  was  conscious  of  a  fine  exhilaration.  Sleep 
and  rest  had  banished  all  dragged  and  jaded  feel 
ings.  For  hours  my  mind  had  been  free  from  a 
sense  of  hurry  and  responsibility,  which  made  it  lit 
tie  better  than  a  driving  machine.  In  the  mental 
leisure  and  quiet  which  I  now  enjoyed  I  had  grown 
receptive1 — highly  sensitive  indeed — to  the  culmi 
nating  scenes  of  this  memorable  day.  Even  little 
things  and  common  words  had  a  significance  that  I 
would  not  have  noted  ordinarily,  and  the  group  be 
fore  me  was  not  ordinary.  Each  character  took 
form  with  an  individuality  as  sharply  defined  as 
their  figures  in  the  somewhat  dimly  lighted  room, 
and  when  I  looked  without  into  the  deepening 
June  night  it  seemed  an  obscure  and  noble  back 
ground,  making  the  human  life  within  more  real 
and  attractive. 

Miss  Warren  sat  before  her  piano  quietly  for  a 
moment,  and  her  face  grew  thoughtful  and  earnest. 
It  was  evident  that  she  was  not  about  to  perform 
some  music,  but  that  she  would  unite  with  her  sin 
cere  and  simple  friends,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Yocomb,  in 
giving  expression  to  feelings  and  truths  that  were 
as  real  to  her  as  to  them. 

"  How  perfectly  true  she  is  !'*'  I  thought,  as  I 
noted  the  sweet,  childlike  gravity  of  her  face. 
Then,  in  a  voice  that  proved  to  be  a  sympathetic, 
pure  soprano,  well  trained,  but  not  at  all  great,  she 
sang, 

"  My  faith  looks  up  to  Thee." 

Their  faith  seemed   verv  real  and  definite,  and  I 


D."  131 

could  not  help  feeling  that  it  would  be  a  cruel  and 
terrible  thing  if  that  pronoun  "  Thee"  embodied 
no  living  and  loving  personality.  The  light  in  their 
faces,  like  that  of  a  planet  beaming  on  me  through 
the  open  window,  appeared  but  the  inevitable  re 
flection  of  a  fuller,  richer  spiritual  light  that  now 
shone  full  upon  them. 

One  hymn  followed  another,  and  Reuben,  who 
soon  came  in,  seemed  to  have  several  favorites. 
Little  Zillah  had  early  asked  for  those  she  liked 
best,  and  then  her  head  had  dropped  down  into  her 
mother's  lap,  and  Miss  Warren's  sweet  tones  be 
came  her  lullaby,  her  innocent,  sleeping  face  mak 
ing  another  element  in  a  picture  that  was  outlining 
itself  deeply  in  my  memory. 

Adah,  having  found  that  she  could  not  secure 
my  attention,  had  fallen  into  something  like  a  rev 
erie.  Very  possibly  she  was  planning  out  the  dress 
that  she  meant  to  "cut  to  suit  herself,"  but  in 
their  repose  her  features  became  very  beautiful 
again. 

Her  face  to  me,  however,  was  now  no  more  than 
a  picture  on  the  wall  ;  but  the  face  of  the  childlike 
woman  that  was  so  wise  and  gifted,  and  yet  so  sim 
ple  and  true,  had  for  me  a  fascination  that  excited- 
my  wonder.  I  had  '  seen  scores  of  beautiful 
women —  I  lived  in  a  city  where  they  abound 
ed  —but  I  had  never  seen  this  type  of  face  before. 
The  truth  that  I  had  not  was  so  vivid  that  it  led  to 
the  thought  that,  like  the  first  man,  I  had  seen  in 
the  garden  the  one  woman  of  the  world,  the  mis 
tress  of  my  fate.  A  second  later  I  was  conscious 


I32  A    DA  Y   OF  FATE. 

of  a  sickening  fear.  To  love  such  a  woman,  and 
yet  not  be  able  to  win  her — how  could  one  there 
after  go  on  with  life  !  Beware,  Richard  Morton  I 
On  this  quiet  June  evening,  in  this  home  of  peace 
and  the  peaceful,  and  with  hymns  of  love  and  faith 
breathed  sweetly  into  your  ears,  you  may  be  in  the 
direst  peril  of  your  life.  From  this  quiet  hour  may 
come  the  unrest  of  a  lifetime.  Then  Hope  whis 
pered  of  better  things.  I  said  to  myself,  "  I  did 
not  come  to  this  place.  I  wandered  hither,  or  was 
led  hither  ;  and  to  every  influence  of  this  day  I 
shall  yield  myself.  If  some  kindly  Power  has  led 
me  to  this  woman  of  crystal  truth,  I  shall  be  the 
most  egregious  fool  in  the  universe  if  I  do  not  watch 
and  wait  for  further  possibilities  of  good. 

How  sweet  and  luminous  her  face  seems  in 
contrast  with  the  vague  darkness  without  !  More 
sweet  and  luminous  would  her  faith  be  in  the  midst 
of  the  contradictions,  obscurities,  and  evils  of  the 
world.  The  home  that  enshrined  such  a  woman 
would  be  a  refuge  for  a  man's  tempted  soul,  as  well 
as  a  resting-place  for  his  tired  body. 

"  Sing,  '  Tell  me  the  O:d,  Old  Story,'  "  said  Mr. 
Yocomb,  in  his  warm,  hearty  way. 

Was  I  a  profane  wretch  because  the  thought 
would  come  that  if  I  could  draw,  in  shy,  hesitating 
admission,  another  story  as  old  as  the  world,  it 
would  be  heavenly  music  ? 

Could  it  have  been  that  it  was  my  intent  gaze 
and  concentrated  thought  that  made  her  turn  sud 
denly  to  me  after  complying  with  Mr.  Yocomb 's 
request  ?  She  colored  slightly  as  she  met  my  eyes, 


"  MOVED."  133 

but  said  quietly,  "  Mr.  Morton,  you  have  expressed 
no  preference  yet." 

"  I  have  enjoyed  everything  you  have  sung,"  I 
replied,  and  I  quietly  sustained  her  momentary  and 
direct  gaze. 

She  seemed  satisfied,  and  smiled  as  she  said, 
4  Thank  you,  but  you  shall  have  your  preference 
also." 

"  Miss  Warren,  you  have  sung  some  little  time, 
and  perhaps  your  voice  is  tired.  Do  you  play  Cho 
pin's*  Twelfth  Nocturne  ?  That  seems  to  me  like  a 
prayer." 

"I'm  glad  you  like  that,"  she  said,  with  a 
pleased,  quick  glance.  "  I  play  it  every  Sunday 
night  when  I  am  alone." 

A  few  moments  later  and  we  were  all  under  the 
spell  of  that  exquisite  melody  which  can  fitly  give 
expression  to  the  deepest  and  tenderest  feelings 
and  most  sacred  aspirations  of  the  heart. 

Did  I  say  all  ?  I  was  mistaken.  Adah's  long 
lashes  were  drooping,  her  face  was  heavy  with 
:sleep,  and  it  suggested  flesh  and  blood,  and  flesh 
and  blood  only. 

Miss  Warren's  eyes,  in  contrast,  were  moist,  her 
mouth  tremulous  with  feeling,  and  her  face  was  a 
beautiful  transparency,  through  which  shone  those 
traits  which  already  made  her,  to  me,  pre-eminent 
among  women, 

I  saw  Mrs.  Yocomb  glance  from  one  maiden  to 
the  other,  then  close  her  eyes,  while  a  strong  ex 
pression  of  pain  passed  over  her  face.  Her  lips 

*Opus  37,  No.  2.     Schubert's  Edition. 


1 34  A    DA  Y   OF  FA  TE. 

moved,  and  she  undoubtedly  was  speaking  to  One 
near  to  her,  though  so  far,  seemingly,  from  most  of 
us. 

A  little  later  there  occurred  one  or  two  exquisite 
movements  in  the  prayer  harmony,  and  I  turned  to 
note  their  effect  on  Mrs.  Yocomb,  and  was  greatly 
struck  by  her  appearance.  She  was  looking  fixedly 
into  space,  and  her  face  had  assumed  a  rapt,  ear 
nest,  seeking  aspect,  as  if  she  were  trying  to  see 
something  half  hidden  in  the  far  distance.  With  a 
few  rich  chords  the  melody  ceased.  Mr.  Yocomb 
glanced  at  his  wife,  then  instantly  folded  his  hands 
and  assumed  an  attitude  of  reverent  expectancy. 
Reuben  did  likewise.  At  the  cessation  of  the 
music  Adah  opened  her  eyes,  and  by  an  instinct  or 
habit  seemed  to  know  what  to  expect,  for  her  face 
regained  the  quiet  repose  it  had  worn  at  the  meet 
ing  house  in  the  morning. 

Miss  Warren  turned  toward  Mrs.  Yocomb,  and 
sat  with  bowed  head.  For  a  few  moments  we  re 
mained  in  perfect  silence.  There  was  a  faint  flash 
of  light,  followed  after  an  interval  by  a  low,  deep 
reverberation.  The  voices  in  nature  seemed  heavy 
and  threatening.  The  sweet,  gentle  monotone  oi 
the  woman's  voice,  as  she  began  to  speak,  was 
divine  in  contrast.  Slowly  she  enunciated  the  sen 
tences, 

4  What   I   do,  thou  knowest  not  now  :  but  thou 
shalt  know  hereafter." 

After  a  pause  she  continued  :  "As  the  dear 
young  friend  was  playing,  these  words  were  borne 
in  upon  my  mind.  They  teach  the  necessity  of  faith. 


"MOVED:*  135 

Thanks  be  to  the  God  of  heaven  and  earth,  that 
he  who  spake  these  words  is  so  worthy  of  the  faith 
he  requires  !  The  disciple  of  old  could  not  always 
understand  his  Lord  ;  no  more  can  we.  We  often 
shrink  from  that  which  is  given  in  love,  and  grasp 
at  that  which  would  destroy.  Though  but  little, 
weak,  erring  children,  we  would  impose  on  the  all- 
wise  God  our  way,  instead  of  meekly  accepting, his 
way.  Surely,  the  One  who  speaks  has  a  right  to 
do  what  pleases  his  divine  will.  He  is  the  sover 
eign  One,  the  Lord  of  lords  ;  and  though  he  slay 
me,  yet  will  I  trust  in  him. 

But  though  it  is  a  King  that  speaks,  he  does 
not  speak  as  a  king.  He  is  talking  to  his  friends  ; 
he  is  serving  them  with  a  humility  and  meekness 
that  no  sinful  mortal  has  surpassed.  He  is  prov 
ing,  by  the  plain,  simple  teaching  of  actions,  that 
we  are  not  merely  his  subjects,  but  his  brethren,  his 
sisters  ;  and  that  with  him  we  shall  form  one  house 
hold  of  faith,  one  family  in  God.  He  is  teaching 
the  sin  of  arrogance  and  the  folly  of  pride.  He  is 
proving,  for  all  time,  that  serving — not  being  serv 
ed — is  God's  patent  of  nobility.  We  should  not 
despise  the  lowliest,  for  none  can  stoop  so  far  as  he 
stooped." 

Every  few  moments  her  low,  sweet  voice  had,  as 
an  accompaniment,  distant  peals  of  thunder,  that 
after  every  interval  rolled  nearer  and  jarred  heavier 
among  the  mountains.  More  than  once  I  saw  Miss 
Warren  start  nervously,  and  glance  apprehensively 
at  the  open  window  where  I  sat,  and  through  which 
the  lightning  gleamed  with  increasing  vividness. 


l$'>  A    DA  Y  OF  FATE. 

Adah  maintained  the  same  utterly  quiet,  impassive 
face,  and  it  seemed  to  me  that  she  heard  nothing 
and  thought  of  nothing.  Her  eyes  were  open  ; 
her  mind  was  asleep.  She  appeared  an  exquisite 
breathing  combination  of  flesh  and  blood,  and  noth 
ing  more.  Reuben  looked  at  his  mother  with  an 
expression  of  simple  affection  ;  but  one  felt  that 
he  did  not  realize  very  deeply  what  she  was  say 
ing  ;  but  Mr.  Yocomb's  face  glowed  with  an  honest 
faith  and  strong  approval. 

'The  Master  said,"  continued  Mrs.  Yocomb, 
after  one  of  the  little  pauses  that  intervened  be 
tween  her  trains  of  thought,  '  '  What  I  do,  thou 
knowest  not  now.'  There  he  might  have  stopped. 
Presuming  is  the  subject  that  asks  his  king  for  the 
why  and  wherefore  of  all  that  he  does.  The  king 
is  the  highest  of  all  ;  and  if  he  be  a  king  in  truth, 
he  sees  the  farthest  of  all.  It  is  folly  for  those  be 
neath  the  throne  to  expect  to  see  so  far,  or  to  un 
derstand  why  the  king,  in  his  far-reaching  provi 
dence,  acts  in  a  way  mysterious  to  them.  Our  King 
is  kingly,  and  he  sees  the  end  from  the  beginning. 
His  plans  reach  through  eternities.  Why  should 
he  ever  be  asked  to  explain  to  such  as  we  ?  Never 
theless,  to  the  fishermen  of  Galilee,  and  to  us,  he 
does  say,  '  Thou  shalt  know  hereafter.' 

'  The  world  is  full  of  evil.  We  meet  its  sad 
mysteries  on  every  side,  in  every  form.  It  often 
touches  us  very  closely—  For  a  moment  some 
deep  emotion  choked  her  utterance.  Involuntarily, 
I  glanced  at  Adah.  Her  eyes  were  drooping  a  lit 
tle  heavily  again,  and  her  bosom  rose  and  fell  in 


the  long,  quiet  breath  of  complete  repose.  Miss 
Warren  was  regarding  the  suffering  mother  with 
the  face  of  a  pitying  angel. 

"And  its  evils  are  evil,"  resumed  the  sad- 
hearted  wroman,  in  a  tone  that  was  full  of  sup 
pressed  anguish  ;  "at  least,  they  seem  so,  and  I 
don't  understand  them — I  can't  understand  them, 
nor  why  they  are  permitted  ;  but  he  has  promised 
that  good  shall  come  out  of  the  evil,  and  has  said, 
'Thou  shalt  know  hereafter.'  Oh,  blessed  here 
after  !  when  all  clouds  shall  have  rolled  away,  and 
in  the  brightness  of  my  Lord's  presence  every  mys 
tery  that  now  troubles  me  shall  be  made  clear. 
Dear  Lord,  I  await  thine  own  time.  Do  what 
seemeth  good  in  thine  own  eyes  ;"  and  she  meekly 
folded  her  hands  and  bowed  her  head.  For  a  mo 
ment  or  two  there  was  the  same  impressive  silence 
that  fell  upon  us  before  she  spoke.  Then  a  louder 
and  nearer  peal  of  thunder  awakened  Zillah,  who 
raised  her  head  from  her  mother's  lap  and  looked 
wonderingly  around,  as  if  some  one  had  called  her. 

Never  had  I  witnessed  such  a  scene  before,  and  I 
turned  toward  the  darkness  that  I  might  hide  the 
evidence  of  feelings  that  I  could  not  control. 

A  second  later  I  sprang  to  my  feet,  exclaiming, 
"Wonderful!" 

Miss  Warren  came  toward  me  with  apprehension 
in  her  face,  but  I  saw  that  she  noted  my  moist 
eyes. 

I  hastened  from  the  room,  saying,  "  Come  out  on 
the  lawn,  all  of  you,  for  we  may  now  witness  a 
scene  that  is  grand  indeed." 


CHAPTER  XII. 
ONE  OF  NATURE'S  TRAGEDIES. 

I  HAD  been  so  interested  in  Mrs.  Yocomb's 
words,  their  effect  on  the  little  group  around 
her,  and  the  whole  sacred  mystery  of  the  scene, 
that  I  had  ceased  to  watch  the  smoking  mountain, 
with  its  increasingly  lurid  apex.  In  the  mean  time 
the  fire  had  fully  reached  the  summit,  on  which 
stood  a  large  dry  tree,  and  it  had  become  a 
skeleton  of  flame.  Through  this  lurid  fire  and 
smoke  the  full  moon  was  rising,  its  silver  disk  dis 
colored  and  partially  obscured. 

This  scene  alone,  as  we  gathered  on  the  piazza 
and  lawn  below  it,  might  well  have  filled  us  with 
awe  and  wonder  ;  but  a  more  impressive  combina 
tion  was  forming.  Advancing  from  the  south-west, 
up  the  star-lit  sky,  which  the  moon  was  brighten 
ing  momentarily,  was  a  cloud  whose  blackness  and 
heaviness  the  vivid  lightning  made  only  the  more 
apparent. 

"  I   am  an  old  man,"  said  Mr.  Yocomb,  "  but 
never  saw  anything  so  grand  as  this  before." 

"  Mother,  mother,"  said  little  Zillah,  "  I'm 
afraid.  Please  take  me  up-stairs  and  put  me  to 
bed."  And  the  mother,  to  whom  the  scene  in  the 
heavens  was  a  glorious  manifestation  of  the  God 
she  loved  rather  than  feared,  denied  herself  of  what 
was  almost  like  a  vision,  for  the  sake  of  the  child. 

44  It's  awful,"  said   Adah  ;   "  I   won't  look  at  it 


ONE   OF  NATURE'S    TRAGEDIES.  139 

any  longer.  I  don't  see  why  we  can't  have  nice 
quiet  showers  that  one  can  go  to  sleep  in  ;"  and 
she  disappeared  within  the  house.  Reuben  sat  down 
on  the  piazza,  in  his  quiet,  undemonstrative  way. 

Miss  Warren  came  down  and  stood  close  to  Mr. 
Yocomb's  side,  as  if  she  half-unconsciously  sought 
the  good  man's  protection. 

Incessant  lightnings  played  from  some  portion  of 
the  cloud,  zigzagging  in  fiery  links  and  forkings, 
while,  at  brief  intervals,  there  would  be  an  excep 
tionally  vivid  flash,  followed  more  and  more  close 
ly  by  heavier  and  still  heavier  explosions.  But 
not  a  leaf  stirred  around  us  :  the  chirp  of  a  cricket 
was  sharply  distinct  in  the  stillness.  The  stars 
shone  serenely  over  our  heads,  and  the  moon,  rising 
to  the  left  out  of  the  line  of  the  smoke  and  fire, 
was  assuming  her  silvery  brightness,  and  at  the 
same  time  rendering  the  burning  mountain  more 
lurid  from  contrast. 

Herbert,  Herbert,  now  I  know  how  brave  you 
were,"  I  heard  Miss  Warren  exclaim,  in  a  low,  awed 
tone. 

I  saw  by  the  frequent  flashes  that  she  was  very 
pale,  and  that  she  was  trembling. 

'  You  mean  your  brother,"  I  said  gently. 

With  her  eyes  fixed  on  the  threatening  and  ad 
vancing  cloud  as  if  fascinated  by  it,  she  continued 
in  the  same  tone,  that  was  full  of  indescribable 
dread, 

'  Yes,  yes,  I  never  realized  it  so  fully  before,  and 
yet  I  have  lain  awake  whole  nights,  going,  by  an 
awful  necessity,  over  every  scene  of  that  terrible 


14°  A    DA  Y   OF  FATE. 

day.  He  stood  in  his  place  in  the  line  of  battle 
on  an  open  plain,  and  he  watched  battery  after 
battery  come  down  from  the  heights  above  and 
open  fire.  He  stood  there  till  he  was  slain,  looking 
steadily  at  death.  This  cloud  that  is  coming  makes 
me  understand  the  more  awful  storm  of  war  that 
he  faced.  Oh,  I  wish  this  hadn't  happened,"  and 
there  was  almost  agony  in  her  tone.  "  I'm  not 
brave  as  he  was,  and  every  nearer  peal  of  thunder 
shakes  my  very  soul." 

Mr.  Yocomb  put  his  hand  tenderly  on  her  shoul 
der  as  he  said, 

"  My  dear,  foolish  little  child— as  if  thy  Father 
in  heaven  would  hurt  thee  !" 

"Miss  Warren,"  I  said  earnestly,  "I  have  too 
little  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Yocomb's  faith  ;  but  it 
seems  impossible  that  anything  coming  from 
heaven  could  harm  you." 

She  drew  closer  to  Mr.  Yocomb's  side,  but  still 
looked  at  the  cloud  with  the  same  wide-eyed  dread, 
as  if  spell-bound  by  it. 

'  To  me,"  she  resumed  in  her  former  tone,  that 
only  became  more  hurried  and  full  of  fear  as  the 
tempest  approached,  "  these  awful  storms  seem  no 
part  of  heaven.  They  are  wholly  of  earth,  and 
seem  the  counterparts  of  those  wild  outbreaks  of 
human  passion  from  which  I  and  so  many  poor 
women  in  the  past  have  suffered  ;"  and  a  low  sob 
shook  her  frame.  "  I  wish  I  had  more  of  good  Mr. 
Yocomb's  spirit  ;  for  this  appalling  cloud  seems  to 
me  the  very  incarnation  of  evil.  Why.dfcf  God 
permit  such  things?" 


OXE   OF  NATURE^S  TRAGEDIES.  1*1 

tVith  a  front  as  calm  and  serene  as  that  of  any- 
ancient  prophet  could  have  been,  Mr.  Yocomb  be 
gan  repeating  the  sublime  words,  "  The  voice  of 
Thy  thunder  was  in  the  heavens  ;  the  lightnings 
lightened  the  world." 

"  Oh,  no,  no  !"  cried  the  trembling  girl,  "  the 
God  I  worship  is  not  in  the  storm  nor  in  the  fire, 
but  in  the  still  small  voice  of  love.  You  may  think 
me  very  weak  to  be  so  moved,  but  truly  I  cannot 
help  it.  My  whole  nature  shrinks  from  this." 

I  took  her  hand  as  I  said  warmly,  "  I  do  under 
stand  you.  Miss  Warren.  Unconsciously  you  have 
fully  explained  your  mood  and  feeling.  It's  in 
truth  your  nature,  your  sensitive,  delicate  organ 
ism,  that  shrinks  from  this  wild  tumult  that  is  com 
ing.  In  the  higher  moral  tests  of  courage,  when 
the  strongest  man  might  falter  and  fail,  you  would 
be  quietly  steadfast." 

She  gave  my  hand  a  quick,  strong  pressure,  and 
then  withdrew  it  as  she  said,  "  I  hope  you  are 
right  ;  you  interpret  me  so  generously  that  I  hope 
I  may  some  day  prove  you  right." 

"  I  need  no  proof.  I  saw  your  very  self  in  the 
garden." 

How  strange — how  strange  it  all  is  !"  she  re 
sumed,  with  a  manner  that  betokened  a  strong  ner 
vous  excitability.  "  Can  this  be  the  same  world— 
these  the  same  scenes  that  were  so  full  of  peace 
and  beauty  an  hour  ago  ?  How  tremendous  is  the 
contrast  between  the  serene,  lovely  June  day  and 
evening  just  passed  and  this  coming  tempest, 
whose  sullen  roar  I  already  hear  with  increasing 


142  A    DA  Y   OF  FA  IE. 

dread  f  Mr.  Morton,  you  said  in  jest  that  this  was 
a  day  of  fate.  Why  did  you  use  the  expression  ? 
It  hj.unts  me,  oppresses  me.  Possibly  it  is.  I 
rarely  give  way  to  presentiments,  but  I  dread  the 
'coming  of  this  storm  inexpressibly.  Oh!"  and 
s;ie  trembled  violently  as  a  heavier  peal  than  we 
had  yet  heard  filled  the  wide  valley  with  awful 
echoes. 

"  Not  even  a  sparrow  shall  fall  to  the  ground 
without  your  Father.  We  are  safe,  my  child.  God 
will  shield  thee  more  lovingly  than  I  ;"  and  he 
drew  her  closer  to  him. 

I  know  what  you  say  is  true,  and  yet  I  cannot 
control  this  mortal  fear  and  weakness." 

No,      Miss     Warren,     you    cannot,"     I     said  ; 
11  therefore  do  not  blame  yourself.     You  tremble 
as  these   trees  and   shrubs  will  be  agitated  in  a  few 
moments,  because  you  cannot  help  it." 
'  You  are  not  so  moved." 

"  No,  nor  will  that  post  be   moved,"  I  replied, 
with  a  reckless  laugh.      "  I  must  admit  that  1  am 
very  much  excited,  however,    for  the  air  is  full  of 
t  electricity.      I  can't  help  thinking  of  the  little  rob 
ins  in  a  home  open  to  the  sky." 

Her  only  answer  was  a  low  sob,  but  not  for  a 
moment  did  she  take  her  wide,  terror-stricken  gaze 
from  the  cloud  whose  slow,  deliberate  advance  was 
more  terrible  than  gusty  violence  would  have  been. 
The  phenomena  had  now  become  so  awful  that 
we  did  not  speak  again  for  some  moments.  The 
great  inky  mass  was  extending  toward  the  east 
ward,  and  approaching  the  fi^e  burning  on  the 


O.Y£    OF  NATURE'S    TRAGEDIES.  M3 

mountain-top,  and  the  moon  rising  above  and  to 
the  left  of  it  ;  and  from  beneath  its  black  shadow 
came  a  heavy,  muffled  sound  that  every  moment 
deepened  and  intensified. 

Suddenly,  as  if  shaken  by  a  giant's  hands,  the 
tree-tops  above  us  swayed  to  and  fro  ;  then  the 
shrubbery  along  the  paths  seemed  full  of  wild  ter 
ror  and  writhed  in  every  direction. 

Hitherto  the  moon  had  shone  on  the  cloud  with 
as  serene  a  face  as  that  with  which  Mr.  Yocomb 
had  watched  its  approach,  but  now  a  scu'd  of  vapor 
swept  like  a  sudden  pallor  across  her  disk,  giving 
one  the  odd  impression  that  she  had  just  realized 
her  peril,  and  then  an  abyss  of  darkness  swallowed 
her  up.  For  a  few  moments  longer  the  fire  burned 
on,  and  then  the  cloud  with  its  torrents  settled 
down  upon  it,  and  the  luridly  luminous  point  be 
came  opaque. 

The  night  now  alternated  between  utter  dark 
ness  and  a  glare  in  which  every  leaf  and  even  the 
color  of  the  tossing  roses  were  distinct. 

After  the  first  swirl  of  wind  passed,  there  fell 
upon  nature  round  us  a  silence  that  was  like  breath 
less  expectation,  or  the  cowering  from  a  blow  that 
cannot  be  averted,  and  through  the  stillness  Un 
sound  of  the  advancing  tempest  came  with  awful 
distinctness,  while  far  back  among  the  mountains 
the  deep  reverberations  scarcely  ceased  a  moment. 

Broken  masses  of  vapor,  the  wild  skirmish  line  of 
the  storm,  passed  over  our  heads,  blotting  out  the 
stars.  The  trees  and  shrubbery  were  bending  help 
lessly  to  the  gust,  and  Miss  Warren  could  scarcely 


144  A    DA  Y  OP  FATE. 

stand  before  its  violence.  The  great  elm  swayed 
its  drooping  branches  over  the  house  as  if  to  protect 
it.  The  war  and  whirl  of  the  tempest  was  all 
about  us,  the  coming  rain  reminded  one  of  the  re 
sounding  footsteps  of  an  innumerable  host,  and 
great  drops  fell  here  and  there  like  scattering  shots. 

"  Come  in,  my  child/'  said  Mr.  Yocomb,  "  the 
storm  will  soon  be  passed,  and  thee  and  the  robins 
shall  yet  have  quiet  sleep  to-night.  I've  seen 
many  such  wild  times  among  the  mountains,  and 
nothing  w*orse  than  clearer  skies  and  better  grain 
followed.  You  will  hear  the  robins  singing — " 

A  blinding  flash  of  lightning,  followed  by  such  a 
crash  as  I  hope  I  may  never  hear  again,  prevented 
further  reassuring  words,  and  he  had  to  half  sup 
port  her  into  the  house. 

I  had  never  been  in  a  battle,  but  I  know  that  the 
excitement  which  mastered  me  must  have  been 
akin  to  the  grand  exaltation  of  conflict,  wherein  a 
man  thinks  and  acts  by  moments  as  if  they  were 
hours  and  years.  Well  he  may,  when  any  moment 
may  end  his  life.  But  the  thought  of  death 
scarcely  entered  my  mind.  I  had  no  presentiment 
of  harm  to  myself,  but  feared  that  the  dwelling  or 
out-buildings  might  be  struck. 

Almost  with  the  swiftness  of  lightning  came  the 
calculation  : 

Estimating  distance  and  time,  the  next  discharge 
of  electricity  will  be  directly  over  the  house.  "If 
there's  cause,  which  God  forbid,  may  I  have  the 
nerve  and  power  to  serve  those  who  have  been  so 
kind  !' 


OXE    OP  NATCRfrS    TRAGEDIES.  145 

As  I  thought,  I  ran  to  an  open  space  which  com 
manded  a  view  of  the  farm-house.  Scarcely  had  I 
reached  it  before  my  eyes  were  blinded  fora  second 
by  what  seemed  a  ball  of  intense  burning  light  shot 
vertically  into  the  devoted  home. 

"  O  God  !"   I  gasped,  "it  is  the  day  cf   fate." 
For  a  moment  I  seemed  paralyzed,  but  the  igniting 
roof  beside  the  chimney  roused  me  at  once. 
Reuben  !"   I  shouted. 

A  flash  of  lightning  revealed  him  still  seated 
quietly  on  the  piazza,  as  if  he  had  heard  noth 
ing.  I  rushed  forward,  and  shook  him  by  the 
shoulder. 

"Come,  be  a  man;  help  me.  Quick!"  and  I 
half  dragged  him  to  a  neighboring  cherry-tree, 
against  which  I  had  noticed  that  a  ladder  rested. 

By  this  time  he  seemed  to  recover  his  senses,  and 
in  less  than  a  moment  we  had  the  ladder  against 
the  house.  Within  another  moment  he  had 
brought  me  a  pail  of  water  from  the  kitchen. 

"  Have  two  more  pails  ready,"  I  cried,  mounting 
the  low,  sloping  roof. 

The  water  I  carried,  and  rain,  which  now  began 
to  fall  in  torrents,  extinguished  the  external  fire, 
but  I  justly  feared  that  the  wood-work  had  been 
ignited  within.  Hastening  back  at  perilous  speed, 
I  said  to  Reuben,  who  stoody  ready,  "  Take  one  of 
the  pails  and  lead  the  way  to  the  attic  and  the 
room  up-stairs." 

The  house  was  strangely  and  awfully  quiet  as  we 
rushed  in. 

I   paused    a    second   at   the    parlor  door.      Miss 


146  A    DAY  OF  FATE. 

Warren    lay    motionless  upon  the  floor,   and   Mr. 
Yocomb  sat  quietly  in  his  great  arm-chair. 

A  sickening  fear  almost  overwhelmed  me,  but  I 
exclaimed  loudly,  "  Mr.  Yocomb,  rouse  yourself  ;  I 
smell  fire  ;  the  house  is  burning  !" 

He  did  not  move  nor  answer,  and  I  followed 
Reuben,  who  was  half  way  up  the  stairs.  It  took 
but  a  few  seconds  to  reach  the  large,  old-fashioned 
garret,  which  already  was  filling  with  smoke. 

"Lead  the  way  to  the  chminey,"  I  shouted  to 
Reuben  in  my  terrible  excitement.  "  Do  not  waste 
a  drop  of  water.  Let  me  put  it  on  when  I  find  just 
where  the  fire  is." 

Through  the  smoke  I  now  saw  a  lurid  point.  A 
stride  brought  me  thither,  and  I  threw  part  of  the 
water  in  my  pail  up  against  it.  The  hissing  and 
sputtering  proved  that  we  had  hit  on  the  right 
spot,  while  the  torrents  falling  on  the  roof  so  damp 
ened  the  shingles  that  further  ignition  from  without 
was  impossible. 

'  We  must  go  down   a  moment  to  breathe,"  I 
gasped,  for  the  smoke  was  choking  us. 

As  we  reached  the  story  in  which  were  the  sleep 
ing  apartments,  1  cried, 

Great   God  !     Why  don't  some  of  the   family 
move  or  speak  ?" 

Hitherto  Reuben  had  realized  only  the  peril  of 
his  home  ;  but  now  he  rushed  into  his  mother's 
room,  calling  her  in  a  tone  that  I  shall  never 
forget. 

A  second  later  he  uttered  my  name  in  a  strange, 
awed  tone,  and  I  entered  hesitatingly.  Little 


OXE    OF  NATURE'S    TRAGEDIES.  147 

Zillah  apparently  lay  sleeping  in  her  crib,  and  Mrs. 
Yocomb  was  kneeling  by  her  bedside. 

"  Mother  !"   said  Reuben,  in  a  loud  whisper. 

She  did  not  answer. 

He  knelt  beside  her,  put  his  arm  around  her,  and 
said,  close  to  her  ear,  "  Mother  !  why  don't  you 
speak  to  me?"  She  made  no  response,  and  I  saw 
that  she  leaned  so  heavily  forward  on  the  bed  as  to 
indicate  utter  unconsciousness. 

The  boy  sprang  up,  and  gazed  at  me  with  wild 
questioning  in  his  eyes. 

"  Reuben  !"   I  said  quickly,  "  she's  only  stunned 
by  the  lightning.      Will  you  prove  yourself  a  man, 
and  help  me  in  what  must  be  done  ?     Life  may  de 
pend  upon  it." 
'  Yes,"  eagerly. 

'  Then  help  me  lift  your  mother  on  the  bed  ; 
strong  and  gentle,  now — that's  it." 

I  put  my  hand  over  her  heart. 

"  She  is  not  dead,"  I  exclaimed  joyously  ;  "  only 
stunned.  Let  us  go  to  the  attic  again,  for  we 
must  keep  shelter  this  wild  night." 

\Vc  found  that  the  smoke  had  perceptibly  les 
sened  ;  I  dashed  the  other  pail  of  water  on  the  spot 
that  had  been  burning,  then  found  that  I  could 
place  my  hand  on  it.  We  had  been  just  in  time,  for 
there  was  light  wood-work  near  that  communicated 
with  the  floor,  and  the  attic  was  full  of  dry  lumber, 
and  herbs  hanging  here  and  there,  that  would  have 
burned  like  tinder.  Had  these  been  burning  we 
could  not  have  entered  the  garret,  and  as  it  was  we 
breathed  with  great  difficulty.  The  roof  still  re- 


14s  A  DAY  OF  FATE. 

sounded  to  the  fall  of  such  torrents  that  I  felt  that 
the  dwelling  was  safe,  unless  it  had  become  ignited 
in  the  lower  stories,  and  it  was  obviously  our  next 
duty  to  see  whether  this  was  the  case. 

11  Reuben,"  I  said,  "  fiU  the  pails  once  more, 
while  I  look  through  the  house  and  see  if  there's 
fire  anywhere  else.  It's  clear  that  all  who  were  in 
the  house  were  stunned — even  you  were,  slightly, 
on  the  piazza — so  don't  give  way  to  fright  on  their 
account.  If  you  do  as  I  bid,  you  may  do  much  to 
save  their  lives  ;  but  we  must  first  make  sure  the 
house  is  safe.  If  it  isn't,  we  must  carry  them  all 
out  at  once." 

He  comprehended  me,  and  went  for  the  water  in 
stantly. 

I  again  looked  into  Mrs.  Yocomb's  room.  It  was 
impregnated  with  a  strong  sulphurous  odor,  and  I 
now  saw  that  there  was  a  discolored  line  down  the 
wall  adjoining  the  chimney,  and  that  little  Zillah's 
crib  stood  nearer  the  scorching  line  of  fire  than 
Mrs.  Yocomb  had  been.  But  the  child  looked  quiet 
and  peaceful,  and  I  hastened  away. 

My  own  room  was  dark  and  safe.  I  opened  the 
door  of  Miss  Warren's  room,  and  a  flash  of  light 
ning,  followed  by  complete  darkness,  showed  that 
nothing  was  amiss. 

I  then  opened  another  door,  and  first  thought 
the  apartment  on  fire,  it  was  so  bright  ;  but  in 
stantly  saw  that  two  lamps  were  burning,  and  that 
Adah  lay  dressed  upon  the  bed,  with  her  face 
turned  toward  them.  By  this  common  device  she 
had  sought  to  deaden  the  vivid  lightning.  Her  face 


O.YE    OF  NATURE'S   TRAGEDIES.  149 

was  white  as  the  pillow  on  which  it  rested  ;  her 
eyes  were  closed,  and  from  her  appearance  she  might 
have  been  sleeping  or  dead.  Even  though  almost 
overwhelmed  with  dread,  I  could  not  help  noting 
her  wonderful  beauty.  In  my  abnormal  and  ex 
cited  condition  of  mind,  however,  it  seemed  a 
natural  and  essential  part  of  the  strange,  unex 
pected  experiences  of  the  day. 

I  was  now  convinced  that  there  was  no  fire  in  the 
second  story,  and  the  thought  of  Miss  Warren  drew 
me  instantly  away.  I  already  had  a  strange  sense 
of  self-reproach  that  I  had  not  gone  to  her  at  once, 
feeling  as  if  I  had  discarded  the  first  and  most  sa 
cred  claim.  I  met  Reuben  on  the  stairway,  and 
told  him  that  the  second  story  was  safe,  and  asked 
him  to  look  through  the  first  story  and  cellar,  and 
then  to  go  for  a  physician  as  fast  as  the  fleetest 
horse  could  carry  him. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

THE   LIGHTNING   AND   A  SUBTLER   ELAME. 

ON  entering  the  parlor,  I  found  Mr.  Yocomb 
standing  up  and  looking  around  in  a  dazed 
manner.  He  did  not  seem  to  know  me,  and  in 
my  deep  anxiety  I  did  not  heed  him.  Kneel 
ing  beside  Miss  Warren  I  found  that  her  pulse  was 
very  feeble.  I  lifted  her  gently  upon  the  sofa,  and 
threw  open  a  window,  so  that  the  damp,  gusty 
wind,  full  of  spray  from  the  rain,  might  blow  in 
upon  her. 

Mr.  Yocomb  laid  his  hand  heavily  on  my  shoul 
der,  and  asked,  in  a  thick  voice,  "  What  does  it  all 
mean  ?" 

I  saw  that  he  was  deathly  pale,  and  that  he  tot 
tered.  Taking  his  arm,  I  supported  him  to  a 
lounge  in  the  hall,  and  said,  "  Mr.  Yocomb,  you 
were  taken  ill.  You  must  lie  down  quietly  till  the 
physician  comes." 

He  seemed  so  confused  and  unable  to  think  that 
he  accepted  my  explanation.  Indeed,  he  soon  be 
came  so  ill  from  the  effects  of  the  shock  that  he 
could  not  rise. 

Again  I  knelt  at  Miss  Warren's  side,  and  began 
chafing  her  hands  ;  but  the  cool  wind  and  spray  did 
the  most  to  revive  her.  She  opened  her  eyes, 
looked  at  me  fixedly  a  few  moments,  and  then  tried 
to  rise. 

"  Please  keep   quiet."  I  said,    "till   I  bring  you 


LIGHTNING  AND  A  SUBTLER  FLAME.         151 

some  brandy  ;"  and  I  hastened  to  my  room,  tore 
open  my  valise,  and  was  soon  moistening  her  lips 
from  a  small  flask.  After  swallowing  a  little  she 
regained  self-possession  rapidly. 

"  What  happened  ?"  she  asked. 

"  I  fear  you  swooned." 

She  passed  her  hand  over  her  brow,  and  looked 
around  as  if  in  search  of  some  one,  then  said, 
11  Where  is  Mrs.  Yocomb  ?" 

"  She  is  in  her  room  with  Zillah." 

"Please  let  me  go  to  her;"  and  she  again 
essayed  to  rise. 

"  Miss  Warren,"  I  said  gently,  "  I  have  no 
right  to  ask  a  favor  of  you,  but  I  will  thank  you 
very  much  if  you  will  just  remain  quietly  on  this 
sofa  till  you  are  better.  You  remember  we  had  a 
frightful  storm.  I  never  knew  such  heavy  thun 
der." 

"  Ah  !  there  it  is  again,"  she  said,  shuddering, 
as  a  heavy  peal  rolled  away  to  the  north. 

"  Miss  Warren,  you  said  once  to-day  that  you 
could  trust  me.  You  can.  I  assure  you  the  storm 
is  past  ;  there  is  no  more  danger  from  it,  but  there 
is  danger  unless  you  do  as  I  bid  you.  Remain 
quietly  here  till  you  have  recovered  from  —from 
your  nervous  prostration.  I  happen  to  have  some 
knowledge  in  a  case  of  this  kind,  and  I  know  that 
much  depends  on  your  being  quiet  for  an  hour  or 
more.  You  need  not  be  alarmed  if  you  do  as  I  bid 
you.  I  will  see  to  it  that  some  one  is  within  call 
all  the  time  ;"  and  I  tried  to  speak  cheerfully  and 
decisively. 


I53  A    DAY  OF  FATE. 

She  smiled  as  she  said,  "  Since  you  have  as- 
sumed  the  role  of  doctor,  I'll  obey,  for  I  know  how 
arbitrary  the  profession  is." 

Then  she  again  reclined  wearily  on  the  sofa,  and 
I  went  out,  closing  the  door. 

I  found  Reuben  beside  his  father,  who  certainly 
needed   care,  for  the   terrible  nausea  which  attends 
recovery   from  a  severe  shock  from  electricity  had 
set  in. 

II  Reuben/'  I  urged,  ' 'do  go  for  the  doctor  ;  I'll 
do   everything  for  your  father  that   I  can,  but  we 
must   have  a  good  physician  at  once.     Go  in  your 
buggy   as  fast  as  you  can  drive  in  the  dark — can't 
you  take  a  lantern  ? — and  bring  the  doctor  with  you. 
First  tell  him  what  has  happened,  so  that  he  can 
biing  the  proper  remedies.     Be  a  man,    Reuben  ; 
much  depends  on  you  to-night." 

Within  five  minutes  I  heard  the  swift  feet  of 
Dapple  splash  out  upon  the  road.  The  night  was 
growing  still  and  close,  and  the  gusts  occurred  at 
longer  intervals.  The  murky  cloud  had  covered 
the  sky,  utterly  obscuring  the  moonlight,  and  there 
was  a  steady  and  heavy  fall  of  rain. 

After  Reuben  had  gone,  a  terrible  sense  of  iso 
lation  and  helplessness  oppressed  me.  I  remem 
bered  strange  tales  of  lightning  and  its  effects  that 
I  had  heard.  Would  the  mother  and  her  two 
daughters  survive  ?  Was  Mr.  Yocomb  seriously 
ill  ?  But  I  found  that  the  anxiety  which  tortured 
me  most  was  in  behalf  of  the  one  who  gave  the  best 
promise  of  speedy  recovery  ;  and  it  was  my  chief 
hope  that  she  would  remain  quietly  where  I  had  left 


LIGHTNING  AND  A   SUBTLER  FLAME.         153 

her  till  the  physician  arrived.  I  had  pretended  to  a 
far  greater  knowledge  than  I  possessed,  since  in 
truth  I  had  had  very  little  experience  in  illness.  If 
Miss  Warren  should  leave  the  parlor,  and  thus  learn 
that  the  farmhouse  might  become  the  scene  of  an 
awful  tragedy,  the  effect  upon  her  would  probably 
be  disastrous  in  the  extreme. 

These  and  like  thoughts  were  coursing  swiftly 
through  my  mind  as  I  waited  upon  Mr.  Yocomb, 
and  sought  to  give  him  relief. 

"  Ice  !"  he  gasped  ;   "  it's  in  cellar." 

I  snatched  up  the  candle  that  Reuben  had  left 
burning  on  the  hall-table,  and  went  for  it  The 
place  was  strange,  and  I  was  not  as  quick  and  deft 
as  many  others  would  have  been,  and  so  was  absent 
some  moments. 

Great  was  my  surprise  and  consternation  when  I 
returned,  for  Miss  Warren  stood  beside  Mr.  Yo 
comb,  holding  his  head. 

'  Why  are  you  here  ?"  I  asked,  and  my  tone  and 
manner  betokened  deep  trouble. 

"I'm  better,"  she  said,  quietly  and  firmly. 

"  Miss  Warren,"  I  remonstrated,  "  I  won't  an 
swer  for  the  consequences  if  you  don't  go  back  to 
the  parlor  and  remain  there  till  the  doctor  comes. 
I  know  what  I'm  about." 

'  You  don't  look  as  if  master  of  the  situation. 
You  are  haggard — you  seem  half  desperate — " 

"  I'm  anxious  about  you,  and  if— 

"  Mr.  Morton,  you  are  far  more  anxious  about 
others.  I've  had  time  to  think.  A  swoon  is  not 
such  a  desperate  affair.  You  guessed  rightly — a 


154  A    DAY  OF  FATE. 

thunder-storm  prostrates  me,  but  as  it  passes  I  am 
myself  again." 

After  aiding  Mr.  Yocomb  to  recline  feebly  on  the 
lounge,  she  came  to  the  table  where  I  was  breaking 
the  ice,  and  said,  in  a  low  tone, 

"  Something  very  serious  has  happened." 

I  could  not  look  at  her.  I  dared  not  tu  speak 
even,  for  I  was  oppressed  with  the  dread  of  a  worse 
tragedy.  With  her  morbid  fear  of  lightning  she 
might  almost  lose  her  reason  if  now,  in  her  weak, 
unnerved  condition,  she  saw  its  effect  on  Mrs.  Yo 
comb  and  Adah. 

"  Mother,"  moaned  Mr.  Yocomb  ;  "  why  don't 
mother  come  ?" 

"  She's  with  Zillah  up-stairs, ".I  faltered.  "  Zil- 
lah'sill  !" 

'  Then  why  does  not  Adah  come  to  her  father  ?" 
Miss  Warren  questioned,  looking  at  me  keenly. 

I  felt  that  disguise  was  useless. 

"  Mr.  Morton,  your  hand  so  trembles  that  you 
can  scarcely  break  the  ice.  Something  dreadful 
has  happened — there's  the  smell  of  smoke  and  fire 
in  the  house.  Tell  me,  tell  me  !"  and  she  laid 
her  hand  appealingly  on  my  arm. 

"  Oh,  Miss  Warren,"  I  groaned,  "  let  me  shield 
you.  If  further  harm  should  come  to  you  to 
night — " 

"  Further  harm  will  come  unless  you  treat  me  as 
a  woman,  not  as  a  child,"  she  said  firmly.  "  I 
know  you  mean  it  kindly,  and  no  doubt  I  have 
seemed  weak  enough  to  warrant  any  amount  of 
shielding." 


LIGHTNING  AND  A  SUBTLER  FLAME.         155 

At  this  moment  there  came  a  peal  of  thunder 
from  the  passing  storm,  and  she  sank  shudderingly 
into  a  chair.  As  it  passed  she  sprang  up  and  said, 

14  I  can't  help  that,  but  I  can  and  will  help  you. 
I  understand  it  all.  The  house  has  been  struck,  and 
Zillah,  Adah,  and  Mr.  Yocomb  have  been  hurt. 
Let  me  feed  Mr.  Yocomb  with  the  ice.  Are  you 
sure  he  should  have  ice  ?  I  would  give  him  brandy 
first  if  I  had  my  way,  but  you  said  you  knew — 

"  Miss  Warren,  I  don't  know — I'm  in  mortal 
terror  in  behalf  of  the  family  but  my  chief  dread 
has  been  that  you  would  come  to  know  the  truth, 
and  now  I  can't  keep  it  from  you.  If  you  can 
be  brave  and  strong  enough  to  help  me  in  this 
emergency,  I  will  honor  you  and  thank  you  every 
day  of  my  life." 

"  Mother  !  mother  !  why  doesn't  mother  come  ?" 
Mr.  Yocomb  called. 

Miss  Warren  gave  me  a  swift  glance  that  was  as 
reassuring  as  sunlight,  and  then  went  quietly  into 
the  parlor.  A  moment  later  she  was  giving  Mr. 
Yocomb  brandy  and  water,  and  quieting  him  with 
low,  gentle  words. 

'  You  remember,  Mr.  Yocomb,"  she  said,  "  that 
Zillah  was  greatly  frightened  by  the  storm.  You 
would  not  have  the  mother  leave  the  child  just  yet. 
Mr.  Morton,  will  you  go  up-stairs  and  see  if  I  can 
be  of  any  assistance  ?  I  will  join  you  there  as  soon 
as  I  have  made  Mr.  Yocomb  a  little  more  comfort 
able,"  and  she  went  to  the  parlor  and  brought  out 
another  pillow,  and  then  threw  open  the  hall-door 
in  order  that  her  patient  might  have  more  air,  for 


15  A    DAY   OF  FATE. 

he  respired  slowly  and  laboriously.  Her  words 
seemed  to  quiet  him,  and  he  gave  himself  into  her 
hands.  I  looked  at  her  wonderingly  for  a  moment, 
then  said,  in  a  low  tone, 

'  You  are  indeed  a  woman  and  a  brave  one.  I 
•  cognize  my  superior  officer,  and  resign  command 
at  once." 

She  shook  her  head  as  she  gave  me  a  glimmer  of 
a  smile,  but  urged,  in  a  whisper,  "  Hasten,  we  must 
not  lose  a  moment." 

I  swiftly  mounted  the  stairs,  relieved  of  my  chief 
anxiety. 

Through  the  open  door  I  saw  Adah's  fair  white 
face.  She  had  not  stirred.  I  now  ventured  in  and 
spoke  to  her,  but  she  was  utterly  unconscious. 
Taking  her  hand  I  was  overjoyed  to  find  a  feeble 
pulse, 

"  It  may  all  yet  be  well.  God  grant  it,"  I  mut 
tered. 

"  He  will,"  said  Miss  Warren,  who  had  joined  me 
almost  immediately  ;  "  this  is  not  a  day  of  fate,  I 
trust  ;"  and  she  began  moistening  Adah's  lips  with 
brandy,  and  trying  to  cause  her  to  swallow  a  little, 
while  I  chafed  her  pretty  hands  and  rubbed  brandy 
on  her  wrists. 

"It  seems  to  me  as  if  an  age,  crowded  with 
events,  had  elapsed  since  I  started  on  my  aimless 
walk  this  morning,"  I  said,  half  in  soliloquy. 

'  That  you  were  directed  hither  will  be  cause  for 
lasting  gratitude.  Was  not  the  house  on  fire  ?" 

"  Yes,  but  Reuben  was  invaluable.  He  was  out 
on  the  piazza,  and  so  was  not  hurt." 


LIGHTNING  AND  A   SUBTLER  FLAME.         157 

"Was  Mrs.  Yocomb  hurt?"  she  asked,  looking 
at  me  in  wild  alarm. 

"Please  do   not   fail   me,"    I   entreated;     "you 
have  been   so   brave   thus   far.      Mrs.  Yocomb  will 
,   oon   revive,    I   think.     You     were    unconscious   at 
nrst."   - 

She  now  realized  the  truth  that  Mrs.  Yocomb 
was  not  caring  for  Zillah,  and  hastened  to  their 
room,  impelled  by  an  overmastering  affection  for 
the  woman  who  had  treated  her  with  motherly 
kindness. 

I  followed  her,  and  assured  her  that  her  friend  was 
living.  It  needed  but  a  moment  to  see  that  this 
was  true,  but  little  Zillah  scarcely  gave  any  sign  of 
life.  Both  were  unconscious. 

The  young  girl   now   looked   at   me   as  if  almost 
overwhelmed,  and  said,   in   a  low  shuddering  tone, 
'  This  is  awful — far  worse  than  I  feared  ;   I  do  wish 
the  doctor  was  here," 

He  must  be  here  soon.  I  know  you  won't  give 
way.  In  great  emergencies  a  true  woman  is  great. 
You  may  save — 

A  thunder  -  peal  from  the  retreating  storm 
drowned  my  words.  She  grew  white,  and  would 
have  fallen  had  I- not  caught  her  and  supported  her 
to  a  chair. 

"  Give  me — a  few  moments,"  she  gasped,  "  and 
I'll  be — myself  again.  This  shock  is  awful.  Why, 
we  would  all  have  burned  up — had  you  not  put  the 
fire  out,"  and  her  eyes  dilated  with  horror. 

'-'  We  have  no  time  for  words,"  I  said  brusquely. 
"  Here,  take  this  brandy,  and  then  let  us  do  every- 


IS8  A    DAY  OF  FATE. 

thing  in  our  £>ower  to  save  life.  I  scarcely  know 
what  to  do,  but  something  must  be  done.  If 
we  can  only  do  the  right  thing,  all  may  yet  be 
well." 

In  a  moment  the  weakness  passed,  and  she  was 
her  brave,  quiet  self  once  more. 

"  I  won't  fail  you  again,"  she  said  resolutely,  as 
she  tried  to  force  a  little  brandy  between  Mrs. 
Yocomb's  pallid  lips. 

'  You  are  a  genuine  woman,"  I  replied  heartily, 
as  I  chafed  Mrs.  Yocomb's  wrists  with  the  spirits  ; 
"  I  know  how  terrible  the  ordeal  has  been  for  you, 
and  most  young  ladies  would  have  contributed  to 
the  occasion  nothing  but  hysterics." 

"  And  you  feared  I  would." 

"  I  feared  worse.  You  are  morbidly  timid  in  a 
thunder-storm,  and  I  dreaded  your  learning  what 
you  now  know,  beyond  measure." 

'You  were  indeed  burdened,"  she  said,  looking 
at  me  with  strong  sympathy. 

"  No  matter.  If  you  can  keep  up  and  suffer  no 
ill  consequences  from  this  affair,  I  believe  that  the 
rest  will  come  through  all  right.  After  all,  they 
are  affected  only  physically,  but  you— 

I  have  been  a  little  weak-minded.  I  know  it, 
but  if  it  doesn't  thunder  any  more  I'll  keep  up. 
Ever  since  I  was  a  child  the  sound  of  thunder  par 
alyzed  me.  Thank  God,  Mrs.  Yocomb  is  beginning 
to  revive." 

"  I  will  leave  her  in  your  care,  and  see  if  I  can  do 
anything  for  Mr.  Yocomb.  I  thus  show  that  I 
trust  you  fully." 


LIGHTNING  AND  A  SUBTLER  FLAME.         15; 

As  I  passed  out  I  heard  a  faint  voice  call, 
"Mother!" 

Going  to  the  door  of  Adah's  room  I  saw  that  she 
was  conscious,  and  feebly  trying  to  rise.  As  I  en 
tered  she  looked  at  me  in  utter  bewilderment,  then 
shrank  with  instinctive  fear  from  the  presence  of  a 
seeming  intruder.  I  saw  the  impulse  of  her  half- 
conscious  mind,  and  called  Miss  Warren,  who 
came  at  once,  and  her  presence  seemed  reassur 
ing. 

"  What's  the  matter  ?"  she  asked,  with  the  same 
thick  utterance  that  I  had  noted  in  Mr.  Yocomb's 
voice.  It  seemed  as  if  the  organs  of  speech  were 
partially  paralyzed. 

'  You  have  been  ill,  my  dear,  but  now  you  are 
much  better.  The  doctor  will  be  here  soon,"  Miss 
Warren  said  soothingly. 

She  seemed  to  comprehend  the  words  imper 
fectly,  and  turned  her  wondering  eyes  toward  me. 

44  Oh  that  the  doctor  would  come  !"   I  groaned. 

Here  you  have  two  on  your  hands,  and  Mr.  Yo- 
comb  is  calling." 

"Who's  that?"  asked  Adah,  feebly  pointing  to 
me. 

'You  remember  Mr.  Morton,"  Miss  Warren 
said  quietly,  bathing  the  girl's  face  with  cologne. 
"  You  brought  him  home  from  meeting  this  morn 
ing." 

The  girl's  gaze  was  so  fixed  and  peculiar  that  it 
held  me  a  moment,  and  gave  the  odd  impression  of 
the  strong  curiosity  of  one  waking  up  in  a  new 
world.  Suddenly  she  closed  her  eyes  and  fell  back 


160  A  DAY  OF  FATE. 

faint  and  sick.  At  that  moment,  above  the  sound 
of  the  rain,  I  heard  the  quick  splash  of  a  horse's 
feet,  and  hastened  down  to  greet  the  doctor. 

In  a  few  hasty  words  I  added  such  explanation  of 
the  catastrophe  as  Reuben's  partial  account  ren 
dered  necessary,  and  by  the  time  I  had  finished  we 
were  at  Mrs.  Yocomb's  door.  Mr.  Yocomb  seemed 
sufficiently  at  rest  to  be  left  for  a  while. 

'  This  is  Miss  Warren,"  I  said.  "  She  will  be 
your  invaluable  assistant,  but  you  must  be  careful 
of  her,  since  she,  too,  has  suffered  very  severely, 
and,  I  fear,  is  keeping  up  on  the  strength  of  her 
brave  will,  mainly." 

The  physician,  foitunately,  was  a  good  one,  and 
his  manner  gave  us  confidence  from  the  start. 

"  I  think  I  understand  the  affair  sufficiently,"  he 
said  ;  "  and  the  best  thing  you  can  do  for  my  pa 
tients,  and  for  Miss  Warren  also,  Mr.  Morton,  is  to 
have  some  strong  black  coffee  made  as  soon  as  pos 
sible.  That  will  now  prove  an  invaluable  remedy, 
I  think." 

"  I'll  show  you  where  the  coffee  is,"  Miss  War- 
revi  added  promptly.  '  Unfortunately — perhaps 
fortunately — Mrs.  Yocomb  let  the  woman  who 
assisted  her  go  away  for  the  night.  Had  she 
been  here  she  might  have  been  another  bilrden." 

Even  though  I  had  but  a  moment  or  two  in  the 
room,  I  saw  that  the  doctor  was  anxious  about  lit 
tle  Zillah. 

As   Miss  Warren  waited  on  me  I  said  earnestly, 
'  What  a  godsend  you  are  !" 

"  No,"  she  replied  with  a  tone   and   glance  that, 


LIGHTNING  AXD  A   SUBTLER  FLAME.          161 

to  me,  was  sweeter  and  more  welcome  than  all  the 
June  sunshine  of  that  day.  "  I  was  here,  and  you 
were  sent."  Then  her  eyes  grew  full  of  dread,  re 
minding  me  of  the  gaze  she  had  bent  on  the  storm 
before  which  she  had  cowered.  '  The  house  was 
on  fire,"  she  said  ;  "  we  were  all  helpless — uncon 
scious.  You  saved  us.  I  begin  to  realize  it  all." 

"  Come,  Miss  Warren,  you  now  are  '  seeing  dcu- 
ble. '  Here,  Reuben,"  I  said  to  the  young  fellow, 
who  came  dripping  in  from  the  barn,  "  I  want  to 
introduce  you  in  a  new  light.  Miss  Warren  doesn't 
half  know  you  yet,  and  I  wish  her  to  realize  that 
you  are  no  longer  a  boy,  but  a  brave,  level-headed 
man,  that  even  when  stunned  by  lightning  could  do 
as  much  as  I  did." 

"  Now,  Richard  Morton,  I  didn't  do  half  as 
much  as  thee  did.  How's  mother?"  and  he  spoke 
with  a  boy's  ingenuousness. 

"Doing  well  under  the  care  of  the  doctor  you 
brought,"  I  said  ;  "  and  if  you  will  now  help  me 
make  this  dying  fire  burn  up  quickly,  she  will  have 
you  to  thank  more  than  any  one  else  when  well 
again." 

"I'm  going  to  thank  you  now,"  Miss  Warren 
exclaimed,  seizing  both  of  his  hands.  "  God  bless 
you,  Reuben  !  You  don't  realize  what  you  have 
done  for  us  all." 

The  young  fellow  looked  surprised.  "  I  only 
did  what  Richard  Morton  told  me,"  he  protested, 
"  and  that  wasn't  much." 

'Well,    there's  a  pair   of    you,"    she    laughed. 
11  The  fire  put  itself  out,  and  Dapple  went  after  the 


1 62  A  DA  Y   OF  FA  'IE. 

doctor."  Then,  as  if  overwhelmed  with  gratitude, 
she  clasped  her  hands  and  looked  upward,  as  she 
said,  in  low,  thrilling  tones,  "  Thank  God,  oh  thank 
God  !  what  a  tragedy  we  have  escaped  !" 

'  Yes,"  I  said,  "  it  might  have  been  a  day  of  fate 
indeed.  Life  would  have  been  an  unendurable  bur 
den  if  what  you  feared  had  happened.  What's  more, 
I  would  have  lost  my  faith  in  God  had  such  a  home 
and  its  inmates  been  destroyed.  The  thought  of  it 
makes  me  sick,"  and  I  sank  into  a  chair. 

'  We  must  not  think  of  it,"  she  cried  earnestly, 
"  for  there's  much  to  be  done  still.  There,  I've 
helped  you  all  I  can  here.  When  the  coffee's 
ready,  call  me,  and  I'll  come  for  it.  Get  on  dry 
clothes  as  soon  as  you  can,  Reuben,  for  you  can  be 
of  great  service  to  us  up-stairs.  I'm  astonished  at 
you,  Mr.  Morton,  you  haven't  any  nerve  at  all — 
you  who  have  dealt  in  conflagrations,  murders, 
wars,  pestilences,  earthquakes,  writing  them  up  in 
the  most  harrowing,  blood-curdling  style  ;  you  have 
absolutely  turned  white  and  faint  because  the  in 
mates  of  a  farm-house  were  shocked.  I  won't  be 
lieve  you  are  an  editor  at  all  unless  you  call  me 
within  five  minutes." 

Whether  because  her  piquant  words  formed  just 
the  spur  I  needed,  or  because  she  had  a  mysterious 
power  over  me  which  made  her  will  mine,  I  threw 
off  the  depression  into  which  I  had  reacted  from  my 
overwhelming  excitement  and  anxiety,  and  soon 
had  my  slowly  kindling  fire  burning  furiously,  dimly 
conscious  in  the  mean  time  that  deep  in  my  heart 
another  and  subtler  flame  was  kindling  also. 


i 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

KINDLING   A   SPARK   OF   LIFE. 

SOON  had  coffee  made  that  was  as  black  as 
the  night  without.  Instead  of  calling  Miss 
Warren,  I  took  a  tray  from  the  dining-room,  and 
carried  it  with  several  cups  up-stairs. 
"  Bring  if:  here  !"  called  the  doctor. 
I  entered  Mrs.  Yocomb's  room,  and  found  that 
she  had  quite  fully  revived,  and  that  Reuben  had 
supported  his  father  thither  also.  He  reclined  on 
the  lounge,  and  his  usually  ruddy  face  was  very 
pale.  Both  he  and  his  wife  appeared  almost  help 
less  ;  but  the  doctor  had  succeeded  in  arresting,  by 
the  use  of  ice,  the  distressing  nausea  that  had  fol 
lowed  consciousness.  They  looked  at  me  in  a  be 
wildered  manner  as  I  entered,  and  could  not  seem 
to  account  for  my  presence  at  once.  Nor  did  they, 
apparently,  try  to  do  so  long,  for  their  eyes  turned 
toward  little  Zillah  with  a  deeply  troubled  and  per 
plexed  expression,  as  if  they  were  beginning  to  real 
ize  that  the  child  was  very  ill,  and  that  events  of  an 
extraordinary  character  had  happened. 

"  Let  me  taste  the  coffee,"  said  the  doctor. 
"Ah!  that's  the  kind — black  and  strong.  See 
how  it  will  bring  them  around,"  and  he  made  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Yocomb  each  swallow  a  cup  of  it. 

Miss  Warren,"  he  called,  "  give  some  of  this 
to  Miss  Adah,  if  she  is  quiet  enough  to  take  it.  I 
cannot  leave  the  child." 


1 64  A    DA  Y  OF  FATE. 

Miss  Warren  came  at  once.  Her  face  was  clouded 
and  anxious,  and  she  looked  with  eager  solicitude 
toward  the  still  unconscious  Zillah,  whose  hands 
Reuben  was  chafing. 

11  I  think  Miss  Adah  will  soon  be  better,"  she  re 
plied  to  the  doctor's  inquiring  glance,  and  she  went 
back  to  her  charge. 

'  Take  some  yourself,"  said  the  physician  to 
me,  in  a  low  tone.  "  I  fear  we  are  going  to  have  a 
serious  time  with  the  little  girl." 

'  You  do  not  realize,"  I  urged,  "  that  Miss  War 
ren  needs  keeping  up  almost  as  truly  as  any  of 
them." 

'  You'll  have  to  take  care  of  her  then,"  said  the 
doctor  hastily  ;  "she  seems  to  be  doing  well  her 
self,  and  doing  well  for  others.  Take  her  some 
coffee,  and  say  that  I  said  she  must  drink  it." 

I  knocked   at  Adah's    door   and    called,    "  Miss 
Warren,    the     doctor   says   you    must    drink    this 
coffee." 

"  In  a  few  moments,"  she  answered,  and  after  a 
little  time  she  came  out. 

'  Where's  your  cup  ?"  she  asked.  4<  Have  you 
taken  any  ?" 

Not  yet,  of  course." 

II  Why  of  course  ?     If  you  want  me  to  drink  this 
you  must  get  some  at  once." 

'  There  may  not  be  enough.      I  don't  know  how 

much  the  doctor  may  need." 

"  Then  get  a  cup,  and  I'll  give  you  half  of  this." 
"  Never,"    I   answered  promptly.      "  Do  as  the 

doctor  bade  you." 


KINDLING  A    SPARK  OF  LIFE.  165 

She  went  swiftly  to  Mrs.  Yocomb's  room  and 
filled  another  cup. 

"  I  pledge  you  my  word  I  won't  touch  a  drop  till 
you  have  taken  this.  You  don't  realize  what  you 
have  been  through,  Mr.  Morton.  Your  hand  so 
trembled  that  you  could  scarcely  carry  the  cup  ; 
you  are  all  unnerved.  Come,"  she  added  gravely, 
"you  must  be  in  a  condition  to  help,  for  I  fear 
Zillah  is  in  a  critical  condition." 

"I'm  not  going  to  break  down,"  I  said  reso 
lutely.  "  Give  it  to  Reuben.  Poor  fellow,  he  was 
very  wet. ' ' 

She  looked  at  my  clothes,  and  then  exclaimed, 
'  Why,  Mr.  Morton,  don't  you  know  you  are  wet 
through  and  through  ?" 

"  Am  I  ?"  and  I  looked  down  at  my  soaked  gar 
ments. 

"  I  don't  believe  you  have  a  dry  thread  on  you." 

"  I've  been  too  excited  to  think  of  it.  Of 
course,  I  got  wet  on  the  roof  ;  but  what's  a  sum 
mer  shower  !  Your  coffee's  getting  cold." 

"  So  is  yours. " 
'  You  have  the  doctor's  orders." 

"  I  would  be  glad  if  my  wishes  weighed  a  little 
with  you,"  she  said,  appealingly. 

'  There,  Miss  Warren,  if  you  put  it  that  way  I'd 
drink  gall  and  vinegar,"  and  I  gulped  down  the 
coffee. 

She  vanished  into  Adah's  room,  saying,  "  You 
must  take  my  word  for  it  that  I  drink  mine.  I  shall 
sip  it  while  waiting  on  my  patient." 

Having  insisted  on  Reuben's  taking  some  also, 


166  A   DAY  OF  FATE. 

I  returned  to  the  kitchen  and  made  a  new  sup 
ply. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Yocomb's  extreme  prostration, 
both  mental  and  physical,  perplexed  me.  Their 
idolized  child  was  still  unconscious,  and  yet  they 
could  only  look  on  in  wondering  and  perplexed 
anxiety.  I  afterward  learned  that  a  paitial  paraly 
sis  of  every  faculty,  especially  of  memory,  was  a 
common  effect  of  a  severe  shock  of  electricity.  It 
was  now  evident  that  Miss  Warren,  from  some  ob 
scure  cause,  escaped  harm  from  lightning.  The 
words  I  had  employed  to  reassure  her  turned  out 
to  be  true — she  had  merely  swooned — and  thus,  on 
recovery,  had  full  possession  of  all  her  faculties. 

"  I  would  be  glad  if  my  wishes  weighed  a  little  with 
you,"  she  had  said.  In  wonder  at  myself,  I  asked, 

What  weighs  more  with  me  ?  By  what  right  is 
this  maiden,  whom  I  have  met  but  to-day,  taking 
such  absolute  contiol  of  my  being?  Am  I  over 
wrought,  morbid,  fanciful,  deluded  by  an  excited 
imagination  into  beliefs  and  moods  that  will  vanish 
in  the  clear  sunlight  and  clearer  light  of  reason  ?  or 
has  the  vivid  lightning  revealed  with  absolute  dis 
tinctness  the  woman  on  whom  I  can  lean  in  perfect 
trust,  and  yet  must  often  sustain  in  her  pathetic 
weakness  ?  The  world  would  say  we  are  strangers  ; 
but  my  heart  and  soul  and  every  fibre  of  my  being 
appear  to  recognize  a  kinship  so  close  that  I  feel  we 
never  can  be  strangers  again.  It  is  true  the  light 
ning  fuses  the  hardest  substances,  making  them  one  ; 
however  I  am  beginning  to  think  that  my  hitherto 
callous  nature  has  been  smitten  by  a  diviner  fire.  If 


KINDLING  A   SPARK  OF  LIFE.  167 

so,  Heaven  grant  that  I'm  not  the  only  one 
struck. 

"  Well,  it's  a  queer  world.  When  I  broke  down, 
last  Friday  night,  and  sat  cowering  before  the 
future  in  my  editorial  sanctum,  I  little  dreamt  that 
on  Sunday  night  I  should  be  making  coffee  in  a 
good  old  Quaker's  kitchen,  and,  what  is  still  more 
strange,  making  a  divinity  out  of  a  New  York 
music-teacher  !" 

A  moment  later  I  added,  "  That's  a  stupid  way 
of  putting  it.  I'm  not  making  a  divinity  out  of 
her  at  all.  She  is  one,  and  I've  had  the  wit  to 
recognize  the  truth.  Are  her  gentlemen  friends  all 
idiots  that  they  have  not— 

'  What  !  talking  to  yourself,  Mr.  Morton  ?  I 
fear  the  events  of  this  day  are  turning  your  head." 
And  Miss  Warren  entered. 

"  Speak  of  an  angel — you  know  the  saying." 

"  Indeed  !  The  only  word  I  heard  as  I  entered 
was  '  idiot.'  '' 

"  Pardon  me,  you  overheard  the  word  '  idiots,' 
so  can  gather  nothing  from  that." 

"  No,  your  mutterings  are  dark  indeed.  I  see 
no  light  or  sense  in  them  ;  but  the  doctor  came  to 
Adah's  door  and  asked  me  for  more  coffee." 

"  How  is  Miss  Adah  ?" 

"  Doing  nicely.      She'll  sleep  soon,  I  think." 

"  I  do  hope  little  Zillah  is  recovering." 

"  Yes,  Reuben  put  a  radiant  face  within  the 
door,  a  few  minutes  since,  and  said  Zillah  was 
'  coming  to,'  as  he  expressed  it.  Adah  is  doing  so 
well  that  I  feel  assured  about  the  others.  Now 


1 68  A    DAY  OF  FA  TE. 

that  she  is  becoming  quiet,  I  think  I  can  leave  her 
and  help  with  Zillah." 

"  And  you're  not  exhausting  yourself?" 

I've  not  yet  reached  the  stage  of  muttering 
delirium.  Mr.  Morton,  will  you  permit  me  to  sug 
gest  that  you  go  to  your  room  and  put  on  dry 
clothes.  You  are  not  fit  to  be  seen.  Moreover, 
there  is  a  mark  athwart  your  nose  that  gives  to  your 
face  a  sinister  aspect,  not  becoming  in  one  whose 
deeds  of  darkness  this  night  will  bear  the  light  of 
all  coming  time.  It  might  be  appropriate  in  a 
printing-office  ;  but  I  don't  intend  to  have  little 
Zillah  frightened.  Oh,  I'm  so  glad  and  grateful 
that  we  have  all  escaped  !  There,  that  will  do  ; 
give  me  the  tray." 

Beg  your  pardon  :  I  shall  carry  it  rp  myself. 
What  on  earth  would  I  have  done  without  you  in 
this  emergency?" 

Come,  Mr.  Morton,  I'm  not  used  to  being  dis 
obeyed.  Yes,  you  did  look  as  helpless  as  only  a 
man  can  look  when  there's  illness  ;  and  there's 
no  telling  what  awful  remedies  you  might  have  ad 
ministered  before  the  doctor  came.  I  think  I  shall 
take  the  credit  of  saving  all  our  lives,  since  you  and 
Reuben  won't." 

She  pushed  open  the  door  of  Mrs.  Yocomb's 
room,  and  her  face  changed  instantly. 

Little  Zillah  lay  on  the  bed  and  was  still  uncon 
scious.  Mrs.  Yocomb  had  been  moved  into  an 
arm-chair,  and  every  moment  comprehension  of  the 
truth  grew  clearer,  arid  her  motherly  solicitude  was 
intensified. 


KINDLING  A   SPARK  OF  LIFE.  169 

Reuben  evidently  was  frightened,  and  the  doc 
tor's  brow  was  knitted  into  a  frown  of  perplex 
ity. 

'  We  thought  she  was  coming  to,"  said  Reuben 
to  Miss  Warren,  "  but  she's  gone  back  worse  than 
ever. 

"  Mr.  Morton,  I  wish  you  to  give  to  all  a  cup  of 
that  coffee  and  take  some  yourself,"  said  the  phy 
sician,  in  a  quiet  but  authoritative  voice.  Mr. 
Yocomb,  you  must  not  rise  ;  you  will  be  ill 
again,  and  I  now  need  all  the  help  I  can  get  with 
this  child.  We  must  try  artificial  respiration,  spray 
ing  the  chest  with  cold  water,  and  every  possible 
means." 

Would   to  God  that  I   could  help  thee  !"  cried 
Mrs.  Yocomb, 

'  You  can  help  by  keeping  absolutely  quiet. 
Mr.  Morton,  in  this  emergency  you  must  become  as 
a  brother  or  one  of  the  family." 

"  I  am  one  with  them  to-night,"  I  said  earnestly  ; 
"  let  me  help  you  in  any  way." 

'  You  three  must  rub  her  with  flannel  and  spirits, 
while  I  lift  her  arms  slowly  up  and  down  to  try  to 
induce  respiration." 

The  poor  limp  little  body — how  sacred  it  seemed 
to  me  ! 

We  worked  and  worked  till  the  perspiration 
poured  from  our  faces.  Every  expedient  was  tried, 
until  the  physician  at  last  desisted  and  stood  back 
for  a  moment  in  anxious  thought. 

Then,  in  a  tone  broken  with  anguish,  Mr.  Yocomb 
exclaimed, 


*7°  -•/    DAY   Of*'  FATE. 

'  Would  to  God  the  bolt  had  fallen  on  my  head, 
and  not  on  this  dear  little  lamb." 

In  bitter  protests  against  it  all  I  cried,  "  The  bolt 
has  fallen  on  your  heart,  Mr.  Yocomb.  How  is  it 
that  God  has  thunderbolts  for  lambs  ?" 

"  Richard  Morton,  thee's  unjust,"  began  Mrs. 
Yocomb,  in  a  voice  that  she  tried  to  render  quiet 
and  resigned.  'Who  art  thou  to  judge  God? 
'  What  I  do  thou  knowest  not  now,  but  thou  shalt 
know—  Oh,  my  child,  my  child  !"  broke  out  her 
wailing  cry,  and  motherhood  triumphed. 

Reuben  was  sobbing  over  his  sister  with  all  the 
abandon  of  boyish  grief,  but  the  maiden  stood  be 
fore  the  little  form,  apparently  lifeless,  with  clasped 
hands  and  dilated  eyes. 

11  I  can't — I  won't  give  her  up,"  she  exclaimed 
passionately,  and  darted  from  the  room. 

I  followed  wonderingly.  She  was  already  in  the 
kitchen,  and  had  found  a  large  tub. 

Fill    this   with    hot   water,"   she    said    to    me. 

No  !  let  me  do  it  ;  I'll  trust  no  one.  Yes,  you 
may  cany  it  up,  but  please  be  careful.  I'll  bring 
j-omc  cold  water  to  temper  it.  Doctor,"  she  ex 
claimed,  re-entering  the  room,  "  we  must  work  till 
\vc  know  there  is  no  chance.  Yes,  and  after  we 
know  it.  Is  not  hot  water  good  ?" 

Anything  is  good  that  will  restore  suspended 
circulation,"  he  replied  ;  "we'll  try  it.  But  wait 
a  moment.  I've  employed  a  nice  test,  and  if  there's 
life  I  think  this  little  expedient  will  reveal  it.  He 
held  the  child's  hand,  and  I  noted  that  a  string  had 
been  tied  around  one  of  the  small  white  fingers,  and 


KIXDLIXG  A   SPARK   OF  LIFE.  171 

that  he  intently  watched  the  part  of  the  finger  be 
yond  the  string.  I  comprehended  the  act  at  once, 
and  recognized  the  truth  that  there  would  be  little 
hope  of  life  if  this  test  failed.  If  there  was  any 
circulation  at  all  the  string  would  not  prevent  the 
blood  flowing  out  through  the  artery,  but  it  would 
prevent  its  return,  and,  therefore,  if  there  was  life 
a  faint  color  would  manifest  itself  in  the  finger.  I 
bent  over  and  held  my  breath  in  my  eager  scrutiny. 
'  The  child's  alive  !"  I  exclaimed. 

By  a  quick,  impressive  gesture  the  physician 
checked  my  manifestation  of  feeling  and  excitement 
as  he  said, 

'  Yes,  she's  alive,  and  that's  about  all.  We'll 
try  a  plunge  in  the  hot  bath,  and  then  friction  and 
artificial  respiration  again." 

We  set  to  work  once  more  with  double  zeal  under 
the  inspiration  of  Miss  Warren's  words  and  manner, 
but  especially  because  assured  that  life  still  lin 
gered.  In  less  than  a  quarter  of  an  hour  there  was 
a  perceptible  pulse.  At  last  she  was  able  to  swal 
low  a  little  stimulant,  and  the  faint  spark  of  life,  of 
which  we  scarcely  dared  to  speak  lest  our  breath 
might  extinguish  it,  began  to  kindle  slowly.  When 
at  last  she  opened  her  eyes,  Miss  Warren  turned 
hers  heavenward  with  a  fulness  of  gratitude  that 
must  have  been  sweet  to  the  fatherly  heart  of  God 
if  the  words  be  true,  "  Like  as  a  father  pitieth  his 
children." 

Mrs.  Yocomb  threw  herself  on  her  knees  by  the 
bedside,  sobbing,  "  Thank  God  !  thank  God  !" 

Reuben    was    growing    wild    with    joy,  and    the 


i;2  A    DAY   OF  FATE. 

father,  overwhelmed  with  emotion,  was  struggling 
to  rise,  when  the  doctor  said,  in  low,  decided  tones, 
'  Hush  !  Nothing  must  be  said  or  done  to  ex 
cite  or  surprise  her.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Yocomb,  as  you 
love  your  child,  control  yourselves.  You,  Mr.  Mor 
ton,  would  seem  strange  to  her,  and,  with  Reuben, 
had  better  leave  us  now.  Miss  Warren  will  help 
me,  and  I  think  all  will  be  well." 

"  Don't  overtax  Miss  Warren,"  I  urged,  linger 
ing  anxiously  at  the  door  a  moment. 

She  gave  me  a  smiling,  reassuring  nod,  as  much 
as  to  say  that  she  would  take  care  of  herself. 

"  God  bless  her  !"  I  murmured,  as  I  sought  my 
room.  "  I  believe  she  has  saved  the  child." 


CHAPTER    XV. 

MY    FATE. 

HAVING  lighted  the  lamp  in  my  room,  I 
looked  around  it  with  a  delicious  sense  of 
proprietorship.  Its  quaint,  homely  comfort  was 
just  to  my  taste,  and  now  appeared  doubly  attrac 
tive.  Chief  of  all,  it  was  a  portion  of  the  home  I 
had  had  some  part  in  saving,  and  we  instinctively 
love  that  which  ministers  to  our  self-complacency. 
An  old  house  seems  to  gain  a  life  and  being  of  its 
own,  and  I  almost  imagined  it  conscious  of  grati 
tude  that  its  existence  had  not  been  blotted  out. 
Mrs.  Yocomb's  cordial  invitation  to  come  and  stay 
when  I  could  gave  me  at  the  time  a  glad  sense 
that  I  had  found  a  country  refuge  to  which  I  could 
occasionally  escape  when  in  need  of  rest.  I  felt 
now,  however,  as  if  the  old  walls  themselves  would 
welcome  me.  As  to  the  inmates  of  the  home,  I 
feared  that  their  grateful  sense  of  the  services  I  was 
so  fortunate  as  to  render  might  make  their  bound 
less  sense  of  obligation  embarrassing  to  me.  It 
would  be  their  disposition  to  repay  an  ordinary 
favor  tenfold,  and  they  would  always  believe  that 
Reuben  and  I  had  saved  their  lives,  and  the  old 
home  which  no  doubt  had  long  been  in  their  family. 
'Well,  I'll  never  complain  of  fortune  again,"  I 
thought,  "  since  I've  been  permitted  to  do  for  these 
people  what  I  have  ;"  and  I  threw  myself  down  on 


174  A    DAY   OF  FATE. 

the  loange,  conscious  of  the  warm,  comfortable 
glow  imparted  by  dry  clothes  and  the  strong  coffee, 
still  more  conscious  of  an  inner  satisfaction  that  the 
threatening  events  of  the  night  had  ended  just  as  I 
could  have  wished. 

"  Since  it  was  to  be,  thank  God  I  was  here  and 
was  able  to  act  for  the  best,"  I  murmured.  '  The 
June  sunshine  and  the  lightning  have  thrown  con 
siderable  light  on  my  future.  I  said  to  Emily  War 
ren,  '  What  could  I  have  done  without  you  in  this 
emergency  ?  '  With  still  greater  emphasis  I.  feel  like 
asking,  What  would  life  be  without  you  ?  It  seems 
absurd  that  one  person  should  become  essential  to 
the  life  of  another  in  a  few  brief  hours.  And  yet, 
why  absurd  ?  Is  it  not  rather  in  accord  with  the 
dee'pest  and  truest  philosophy  of  life  ?  Is  the  indis 
soluble  union  of  two  lives  to  result  from  long  and 
careful  calculations  of  the  pros  and  cons  ?  In  true 
marriage  it  seems  to  me  the  soul  should  recognize 
its  mate  when  meeting  it." 

It  thus  may  be  seen  that  I  was  no  exception  to 
that  large  class  who  accept  or  create  a  philosophy 
pleasing  to  it,  and  there  is  usually  enough  truth  in 
any  system  to  prevent  its  being  wholly  unreasonable. 

I  heard  a  step  in  the  hall,  and  as  I  had  left  my 
door  open  so  that  at  any  sound  I  could  spring  up, 
I  was  so  fortunate  as  to  intercept  the  object  of  my 
thoughts.  Her  face  was  full  of  deep  content,  but 
very  pale.  To  the  eager  questioning  of  my  manner, 
she  replied, 

'*  The  doctor  says  Zillah  is  doing  as  well  as  we 
could  expect.  Oh,  I'm  so  glad  !" 


J/F  FATE.  175 

Miss  Warren,  you  don't  realize  how  pale  you 
are.  When  are  you  going  to  rest  ?  I've  been  lying 
down,  and  my  conscience  troubled  me  as  I  thought 
of  you  still  working." 

"  I  never  imagined  that  editors  had  such,  tender 
consciences,"  she  said,  with  a  low  laugh,  and  she 
vanished  into  Adah's  room. 

I  knew  she  wouldn't  stay  long,  and  remained  at  the 
end  of  the  hall,  looking  out  of  the  window.  The  light 
ning  flashes  had  grown  faint  and  distant,  but  they 
were  almost  incessant,  and  they  revealed  that  the 
clouds  were  growing  thin  toward  the  west,  while 
near  the  horizon  a  star  glimmered  distinctly. 

"  Miss  Warren,"  I  called,  as  she  came  out  of 
Adah's  room,  "  I've  a  good  omen  to  show  you. 
Do  you  see  that  star  in  the  west  ?  I  think  the 
morning  will  be  cloudless  ?" 

"  But  those  flashes  prove  that  the  storm  is  caus 
ing  fear  and  loss  to  other  and  distant  homes." 

"  Not  at  all.  It  is,  no  doubt,  causing  '  better 
grain  and  clearer  skies,'  as  Mr.  Yocomb  said.  Such 
an  experience  as  we  have  had  to-night,  while  hav 
ing  its  counterparts  not  infrequently,  take  the  world 
over,  is  by  no  means  common." 

"  Oh,  I  hope  we  may  have  no  more  heavy  thun 
der-storms  this  summer.  They  are  about  the  only 
drawback  to  this  lovely  season." 

'  You  are  perfectly  safe  so  long  as  you  remain 
here,"  I  laughed  ;  "  you  know  the  lightning  never 
strikes  twice  in  the  same  place." 

"  I  hope  to  stay  here,  but  for  better  reasons  than 
that." 


I  7  6  A    DA  Y   OF  FA  TE. 

"  So  do  I." 

11  I  should  think  you  would,  You,  certainly,  are 
no  longer  homeless.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Yocomb  will 
adopt  you  in  spite  of  yourself  as  soon  as  they  re 
alize  it  all.  The  string  of  the  latch  will  always  hang 
outside  of  the  door  for  you,  I  can  tell  you  ;  and 
a  nice  place  it  will  be  for  a  city  man  to  come." 

"  And  for  a  city  woman  too.  Mrs.  Yocomb  had 
adopted  you  before  all  this  happened,  and  I  don't 
believe  she'll  forget  that  you  really  saved  little 
Zillah'slife." 

'  The  dear  little  thing  !"  she  exclaimed,  tears 
starting  to  her  eyes.  "  Plow  pathetic  her  little 
unconscious  form  was  !" 

'  To  me,"  I  replied  earnestly,  4<  it  was  the  most 
exquisite  and  sacred  thing  I  ever  saw.  I  don't 
wonder  you  felt  as  you  did  when  you  said,  '  I  can't 
— I  won't  give  her  up,'  for  it  seemed  at  the  moment 
almost  as  if  my  life  depended  on  her  life,  so  power 
ful  was  her  hold  on  my  sympathy.  The  doctor 
spoke  truer  than  he  thought,  for  it  seems  as  if  the 
lightning  had  fused  me  into  this  family,  and  my 
grief  would  have  been  almost  as  great  as  Reuben's 
had  little  Zillah  not  revived." 

"  I  feel  as  if  it  would  have  broken  my  heart," 
and  her  tears  fell  fast.  Dashing  them  away  she 
said,  "  I  cry  as  well  as  laugh  too  easily,  and  I'm 
often  so  provoked  that  I  could  shake  myself.  I 
must  say  that  I  think  we're  all  becoming  well 
acquainted  for  people  who  have  met  so  recent- 

ly." 

"  Oh,  as   for  you,"  I  replied,  "  I  knew  you  well 


MY  FA  TE.  '77 

in  some  previous  state  of  existence,  and  have  just 
met  you  again. " 

"Mr.  Morton,"  she  said,  turning  on  me 
brusquely,  "  I  shall  not  be  quite  sure  as  to  your 
entire  sanity  till  you  have  had  a  long  sleep.  You 
have  seemed  a  little  out  of  your  head  on  some 
points  ever  since  our  extended  acquaintance  began. 
You  have  appeared  impressed  or  oppressed  with  the 
hallucination  that  this  day — is  it  to-day  or  to-mor 
row  ?" 

"  It's  to-day  for  a  little  while  longer,"  I  replied, 
looking  at  my  watch. 

'  Well,  then,  that  to-day  was  '  a  day  of  fate,'  and 
you  made  me  nervous  on  the  subject— 

"  Then  I'm  as  sane  as  you  are." 

14  No,  I  hadn't  any  such  nonsense  in  my  mind 
till  you  suggested  it,  but  having  once  entertained 
the  idea  it  haunted  me." 

"Yes,  and  it  haunts  you  still,"  I  said  eagerly. 

"  What  time  is  it,  Mr.  Morton  ?" 

"  It  lacks  but  a  few  moments  of  midnight." 

"  No,  "she  said  laughingly,  "  I  don't  believe  any 
thing  more  will  happen  to-day,  and  as  soon  as  the 
old  clock  down-stairs  strikes  twelve  I  think  the  light 
of  reason  will  burn  again  in  your  disordered  mind. 
Good-night." 

Instead  of  going,  however,  she  hesitated,  looked 
at  me  earnestly  a  moment,  then  asked, 
'  You  said  you  found  me  unconscious  ?" 

"Yes." 
How  did  you  revive  me  ?" 

"  I    carried   you   to  the  sofa   under  the  window, 


17^>  A    DAY   OF  FA  Tli.. 

which  I  opened.  I  then  chafed  your  hands,  but  I 
think  the  wind  and  spray  restored  you." 

"  I  don't  remember  fainting  before  ;  and — oh, 
well,  this  whole  experience  has  been  so  strange 
that  I  can't  realize  it." 

"  Don't  try  to.  If  I'm  a  little  out  of  my  head, 
your  soul  will  be  out  of  your  body  if  you  don't 
take  better  care  of  yourself.  You  might  as  well  be 
killed  by  lightning  as  over-fatigue.  That  doctor 
seems  to  think  you  are  made  of  india-rubber." 

"  I've  laughed  to  myself  more  than  once  at  your 
injunctions  to  the  doctor  since  Zillah  revived. 
We've  had  such  a  narrow  escape  that  I  feel  as  if  I 
ought  not  to  laugh  again  for  a  year,  but  I  can't 
help  it.  I  won't  thank  you  as  I  meant  to — it  might 
make  you  vain.  Good-night,"  and  she  gave  my 
hand  a  quick,  strong  pressure,  and  went  swiftly  back 
to  Mrs.  Yocomb's  room. 

Had  my  hand  clasped  only  flesh  and  blood,  bone 
and  sinew  ?  No,  indeed.  I  felt  that  I  had  had 
within  my  grasp  a  gratitude  and  friendly  regard  that 
was  so  full  and  real  that  the  warm-hearted,  impul 
sive  girl  would  not  trust  herself  to  express  it  in 
words.  Her  manner,  however,  was  so  frank  and 
unconstrained  that  I  knew  her  feelings  to  be  only 
those  of  gratitude  and  friendly  regard,  seeing  clearly 
that  she  entertained  no  such  thoughts  as  had  come 
unbidden  to  me. 

In  spite  of  my  fatigue,  the  habit  of  my  life  and 
the  strong  coffee  would  have  banished  all  thought 
of  sleep  for  hours  to  come,  if  there  had  been  no 
other  cause,  but  the  touch  of  a  little  hand  had  put 


M  j '  /v/  TV-;,  i ;  9 

more  glad  awakening  life  within  me  than  all  the 
stimulants  of  the  world. 

I  went  down-stairs  and  looked  through  the  old 
house  to  see  that  all  was  right,  with  as  much  solici 
tude  as  if  it  were  indeed  my  owjuhome.  Except 
ing1  the  disorder  I  had  caused  in  the  kitchen  ami 

O 

hall,  it  had  the  midnight  aspect  of  quiet  and  order 
that  might  have  existed  for  a  century. 

"  I  would  not  be  afraid  of  the  ghosts  that  came 
back  to  this  home,"  I  muttered.  "  Indeed,  I 
would  like  to  see  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Yocomb's  ances 
tors  ;  and,  now  I  think  of  it,  some  one  of  them 
should  wear  a  jaunty,  worldly  hat  to  account  for 
Adah.  By  Jove  !  but  she  was  beautiful  as  she  lay 
there,  with  her  perfect  physical  life  suspended  in 
stantaneously.  If  the  lightning  would  only  create 
a  woman  within  the  exquisite  casket,  the  result 
would  well  repay  what  we  have  passed  through. 
Her  mother  would  say,  as  I  suppose,  that  another 
and  subtler  fire  from  heaven  were  needed  for  such 
a  task." 

As  I  came  out  into  the  hall  the  great  clock  began 
to  strike,  in  the  slow,  dignified  manner  befitting  its 
age— 

4<  One,  two,  three — twelve," 

The  day  of  fate  had  passed.  I  k^ew  Em.ily  YVar- 
ren  was  laughing  at  me  softly  to  herself  as  she  and 
the  physician  watched  with  the  patients  in  Mrs. 
Yocomb's  room. 

I  was  in  no  rnood  to  laugh,  for  every  moment 
the  truth  \Y9.s  growing  clearer  that  I  had  met  my 
fate, 


I  So  A  DA  Y   OF  FATE. 

I  looked  into  the  parlor,  in  which  a  lamp  was 
burning,  and  conjured  up  the  scene  I  had  witnessed 
there.  I  saw  a  fair  young  face,  with  eyes  turned 
heavenward,  and  heard  again  the  words,  "  My  faith 
looks  up  to  Thee." 

Their  faith  had  been  sorely  tried.  The  burning 
bolt  from  heaven  seemed  a  strange  response  to  that 
faith  ;  the  crashing  thunder  a  wild,  harsh  echo  to 
the  girl's  sweet,  reverent  tones. 

Is  it  all  chance?"  I  queried,  "  or  all  inexorable 
law  ?  Who  or  what  is  the  author  of  the  events  of 
this  night  ?"  As  if  in  answer,  Mrs.  Yocomb's  text 
came  into  my  mind  :  "What  I  do  thou  knowest 
not  no\v,  but  thou  shalt  know  hereafter." 

'  Wei'.,"  I  muttered,  "  perhaps  there  is  as  much 
reason  in  their  philosophy  as  in  any  other.  Some 
body  ought  to  be  in  charge  of  all  this  complex  life 
and  being." 

I  went  out  on  the  piazza,  The  rain  was  still  fall 
ing,  but  softly  and  lightly.  A  freshening  breeze 
was  driving  the  thin,  lingering  clouds  before  it,  and 
star  after  star  looked  out,  as  if  lights  were  being 
kindled  in  the  western  sky.  The  moon  was  still 
hidden,  but  the  vapor  was  not  dense  enough  to 
greatly  obscure  her  rays.  In  the  partial  light  the 
valley  seemed  wider,  the  mountains  higher,  and 
everything  more  beautiful,  in  contrast  with  the  black 
tempest  that  had  so  recently  filled  the  scene. 

I  sat  down  on  the  piazza  to  watch  with  those  who 
were  watching  with  the  child.  I  made  up  my  mind 
that  I  certainly  should  not  retire  until  the  physician 
departed  ;  and  in  my  present  mood  I  felt  that  my 


MY  FATE.  181 

midsummer  night's  dream  would  be  to  me  more  in 
teresting  than  that  of  Will  Shakespeare.  Hour 
after  hour  passed  almost  unnoted.  The  night 
became  serene  and  beautiful.  The  moon,  like  a 
confident  beauty,  at  last  threw  aside  her  veil  of 
clouds,  and  smiled  as  if  assured  of  welcome.  Rain 
drops  gemmed  every  leaf  ;  and  when  the  breeze 
increased,  myriads  of  them  sparkled  momentarily 
through  the  silver  light.  As  morning  approached 
the  air  grew  so  sweet  that  I  recognized  the  truth 
that  the  new  flowers  of  a  new  day  were  opening, 
and  that  I  was  inhaling  their  virgin  perfume. 

I  rose  and  went  softly  to  the  ivy-covered  gateway 
of  the  old  garden,  and  the  place  seemed  transfigured 
in  the  white  moonlight.  Even  the  kitchen  vegeta* 
bles  lost  their  homely,  prosaic  aspect.  I  stole  to 
the  lilac-bush,  and  peered  at  the  home  that  had 
been  roofless  through  all  the  wild  storm.  My  ap 
proach  had  been  so  quiet  that  the  little  brown 
mother  sat  undisturbed,  with  her  head  under  her 
wing  ;  but  the  paternal  robin,  from  an  adjacent 
spray,  regarded  me  with  unfeigned  surprise  and 
v  alarm.  He  uttered  a  note  of  protest,  and  the 
mother-bird  instantly  raised  her  head  and  fixed  on 
me  her  round,  startled  eyes.  I  stole  away  hastily, 
smiling  to  myself  as  I  said, 

"  Both  families  will  survive  unharmed,  and  both 
nests  are  safe. ' ' 

I  went  to  the  spot  where  I  had  stood  with  Emily 
Waimem  at  the  time  I  had  half-jestingly,  half-ear- 
nestly  indulged  my  fancy  to  reproduce  a  bit  of 
Eden-like  frankness.  Under  the  influence  of  the 


1 82  A    DA  Y  OF  FATE 

hour  and  my  mood  I  was  able  to  conjure  up  the 
maiden's  form  almost  as  if  she  were  a  real  presence. 
I  knew  her  far  better  now.  With  her  I  had  passed 
through  an  ordeal  that  would  test  severely  the  best 
and  strongest.  She  had  been  singularly  strong  and 
very  weak  ;  but  the  weakness  had  left  no  stain  on 
her  crystal  truth,  and  her  strength  had  been  of  the 
best  and  most  womanly  kind.  As  in  the  twilight, 
so  in  the  white  moonlight,  she  again  made  perfect 
harmony  in  the  transfigured  garden. 

There  is  but  one  woman  in  the  world  for  me," 
I  murmured,  "  as  truly  as  there  was  only  one  for 
the  first  lonely  man.  I  know  not  how  it  is  with 
her,  but  I  hope — oh,  what  would  life  now  be  to  me 
without  this  hope  ! — that  she  cannot  have  inspired 
this  absolute  conviction  that  she  is  essential  to  my 
being  without  some  answering  sympathy  in  her  own 
woman's  heart.  But  whether  this  is  true  or  not,  or 
whether  it  ever  can  be  true,  /  have  met  my  fate." 

As  I  returned  from  the  garden  I  saw  that  the 
dawn  was  coming,  and  I  sat  down  and  watched  it 
brighten  with  the  feeling  that  a  new  and  happy  life 
was  also  coming. 


THE  END   OF   BOOK   FIRST. 


A  DAY  OF  FATE. 


BOOK    SECOND. 


CHAPTER    I. 

THE     DAY    AFTER. 

'  I  ^HE  epochs  of  one's  life  are  not  divided  ac- 
i-  cording  to  the  calendar,  nor  are  they  measured 
by  the  lapse  of  time.  Within  a  few  brief  hours  I 
had  reached  a  conclusion  that  left  no  shadow  of 
doubt  on  my  mind.  As  I  sat  there  in  the  beautiful 
June  dawn  I  turned  a  page  in  my  history.  The 
record  of  future  joys  and  ills  would  have  to  be  kept 
in  double  entry,  for  I  felt  with  absolute  conviction 
that  I  could  entertain  no  project  and  decide  no 
question  without  instinctively  and  naturally  con 
sulting  the  maiden  who  had  quietly  and  as  if  by 
divine  right  obtained  the  mastery  of  my  soul.  But 
a  day  since  I  would  have  said  that  my  present 
attitude  was  impossible,  but  now  it  seemed  both 
right  and  inevitable.  The  doubt,  the  sense  of 
strangeness  and  remoteness  that  we  justly  associate 
with  a  comparative  stranger,  had  utterly  passed 
away,  and  in  their  place  was  a  feeling  of  absolute 
trust  and  rest.  I  could  place  in  her  hands  the  best 
treasures  of  my  life,  without  a  shadow  of  hesitancy, 
so  strongly  had  I  bee'n  impressed  with  her  truth. 

And  yet  it  all  was  a  beautiful  mystery,  over  which 
I  could  have  dreamed  for  hours. 

I  had  not  shunned  society  in  the  past,  and  had 
greatly  admired  other  ladies.  Their  voices  had  been 
sweet  and  low,  as  a  woman's  tones  should  be,  and 


1 86  A   DAY  OF  FATE. 

their  glances  gentle  and  kind,  but  not  one  of  them 
had  possessed  the  power  to  quicken  my  pulse  or  to 
disturb  the  quiet  slumber  of  my  heart  ;  but  this 
woman  spoke  to  me  as  with  authority  from  heaven. 

My  whole  being,"  I  murmured,  "  bows  down  to 
her  by  a  constraint  that  I  could  scarcely  resist,  and 
no  queen  in  the  despotic  past  ever  had  a  more  loyal 
subject  than  I  have  become.  To  serve  her,  even 
to  suffer  for  her  and  to  stand  between  her  and  all 
evils  the  world  could  inflict,  are  privileges  that  I 
covet  supremely.  My  regard  is  not  a  sudden  pas 
sion,  for  passion  is  selfish  and  inconsiderate.  My 
love  is  already  united  with  honor  and  reverence, 
and  my  strongest  impulse  is  to  promote  her  happi 
ness  before  my  own.  The  thought  of  her  is  an 
inspiration  toward  a  purer,  better  manhood  than  I 
have  yet  known.  Her  truth  and  innate  nobility  pro 
duce  an  intense  desire  to  become  like  her,  so  that 
she  may  look  into  my  eyes  and  trust  also." 

I  scarcely  know  how  long  my  bright-hued  dream 
would  have  lasted,  but  at  length  the  door  of  Mrs. 
Yocomb's  room  opened,  and  steps  were  on  the 
stairs.  A  moment  later  the  physician  came  out, 
and  Miss  Warren  stood  in  the  doorway. 

'  They  are  all  sleeping  quietly,"  he  said,  in 
answer  to  my  inquiry.  '  Yes  ;  all  danger  in  Zil- 
lah's  case  is  now  passed,  I  think  ;  but  she's  had  a 
serious  time  of  it,  poor  little  thing  !" 

'  There's  no  need  of  your  walking  home  to 
il  ight,"  protested  Miss  Warren.  We  can  make 
you  comfortable  here,  and  Reuben  will  gladly  drive 
you  over  in  the  morning." 


THE   DAY  AFTER.  187 

"  It's  morning  now,"  he  said,  smiling,  "  and  I'll 
enjoy  the  walk  in  the  fresh  air.  I'll  call  again  be 
fore  very  long.  Good-day  !"  and  he  walked  lightly 
down  the  path,  as  if  all  was  very  satisfactory  to 
him. 

'  What  are  you  doing  here,  Mr.  Morton  ?"  Miss 
Warren  asked,  assuming  an  expression  of  strong 
surprise. 

'  Helping  to  watch." 

"  What  a  waste  !  You  haven't  done  Zillah  a 
bit  of  good." 

"  Didn't  you  know  I  was  here  ?" 
'  Yes  ;  but  I  hope  you  don't  think  that  I  need 
watching  ?" 

I  was  within  call." 

"  So  you  would  have  been  if  sleeping.  I  could 
have  blown  the  great  tin  horn  if  it  had  been  neces 
sary  to  waken  you,  and  you  had  remained  undis 
turbed  by  other  means." 

"  Oh,  well,  then,  if  it  made  no  difference  to  you, 
I'll  merely  s^ay  I'm  a  night  editor,  and  kept  awake 
from  habit." 

"  I  didn't  say  it  made  no  difference  to  me,"  she 
answered.  "  You  ought  to  have  known  better1 
than  to  have  made  that  speech." 

"  Miss  Warren,"  I  urged  anxiously,  "  you  look 
white  as  a  ghost  in  this  mingling  of  moonlight  and 
morning.  When  will  you  rest  ?" 

:'  When  the  mind  and  heart  are  at  rest  a  tired  body 
counts  for  little.  So  you're  not  afraid  of  ghosts  ?" 

I  looked  at  her  intently  as  1  replied,  "  No  ;  I 
would  like  to  be  haunted  all  my  life." 


1 88  A    DA  Y    OF  FA  TE. 

It  was  not  wholly  the  reflection  of  the  dawn  that 
tinged  the  pallor  of  her  face  as  I  spoke  these 
words. 

After  a  moment's  hesitation  she  apparently  dis 
missed  a  thought,  and  maintained  her  old  frank 
manner. 

44  Oh,  how  beautiful,  how  welcome  the  morning 
is  !"  she  exclaimed,  coming  out  on  the  piazza. 

To  think  that  this  is  the  same  world  that  we 
saw  last  night — it's  almost  impossible." 

"  Mr.  Yocomb's  words  will  yet  prove  true,"  I 
said,  "  and  clearer  skies  and  better  grain  will  be  the 
result  of  the  storm." 

4<  Oh,  I'm  so  glad,  I'm  so  very  glad,"  she  murmur 
ed.  '  This  morning  is  like  a  benediction  ;"  and  its 
brightness  and  beauty  glowed  in  her  face. 

'4  I  can  tell  you  something  that  will  please  you 
greatly,"  I  continued.  "  I  have  visited  the  little 
home  in  the  garden  that  was  open  to  last  night's 
sky.  The  fajther  and  mother  robins  are  well,  and 
I'm  sure  all  the  little  ones  are  too,  for  the  mother 
robin  had  her  head  under  her  wing — a  thing  impos 
sible,  I  suppose,  if  anything  was  amiss  with  thechil-. 
dren. " 

4<  Oh,  I'm  so  glad  !"  she  again  repeated,  and 
there  was  a  joyous,  exquisite  thrill  in  her  tones. 

At  that  moment  there  came  a  burst  of  song  from 
the  top  of  the  pear-tree  in  the  garden,  and  we  sa\v 
the  head  of  the  little  household  greeting  the  day. 

Almost  as  sweetly  and  musically  my  companion's 
laugh  trilled  out, 

44  So  it  wasn't  the  day  of  fate  after  ail." 


THE   DAY  AFTER.  189 

Impelled  by  an  impulse  that  for  the  moment 
seemed  irresistible,  I  took  her  hand  as  I  said  ear 
nestly, 

'  Yes,  Miss  Warren,  for  me  it  was,  whether  for  a 
lifetime  of  happiness  or  of  disappointment." 

At  first  she  appeared  startled,  and  gave  me  a 
swift,  searching  glance  ;  then  a  strong  expression  of 
pain  passed  over  her  face.  She  understood  me 
well,  for  my  look  and  manner  would  have  been  un 
mistakable  to  any  woman. 

She  withdrew  her  hand  as  she  said  gently, 
'  You  are  overwrought  from  watching — from  all 
that's  happened  ;  let  us  both  forget  that  such  rash 
words  were  spoken." 

"  Do  not  think  it,"  I  replied,  slowly  and  de 
liberately.  "  I  have  learned  to  know  you  better 
since  we  have  met  than  I  could  in  months  or  years 
amid  the  conventionalities  of  society.  In  you  I 
recognize  my  fate  as  vividly  and  distinctly  as  I  saw 
you  in  the  lightning's  gleam  last  night.  Please 
hear  and  understand  me,"  I  urged,  as  she  tried  to 
check  my  words  by  a  strong  gesture  of  dissent. 
"  If  you  had  parents  or  guardians,  I  would  ask  them 
for  the  privilege  of  seeking  your  hand.  Since  you 
have  not,  I  ask  you.  At  least,  give  me  a  chance. 
I  can  never  prove  worthy  of  you,  but  by  years  of 
devotion  I  can  prove  that  I  appreciate  you." 

"Oh,  I'm  so  sorry,  so  very  sorry  you  feel  so," 
she  said,  and  there  was  deep  distress  in  her  tones  ; 

I  was  in  hopes  we  should  be  life-long  friends.'' 

'  We  shall  be,"  I  replied  quietly.  She  looked  at 
me  hesitatingly  a  moment,  then  said  impulsively, 


19°  A    DA  Y   OF  FATE. 

"  Mr.  Morton,  you  are  too  honorable  a  man  to 
seek  that  which  belongs  to  another.  There,"  she 
added,  flushing  deeply,  "  I've  told  you  what  I've 
acknowledged  to  no  one — scarcely  to  myself." 

I  know  that  the  light  of  hope  faded  out  of  my 
face  utterly,  for  I  felt  ill  and  faint.  If  in  truth  she 
belonged  to  another,  her  absolute  truth  would  make 
her  so  loyal  to  him  that  further  hope  would  be  not 
only  vain  but  an  insult,  which  she  would  be  the  first 
to  resent. 

"  I  understand  you  too  well,"  I  began  despond 
ently,  "  to  say  another  word,  Miss  Warren.  I — I 
wish — -it  seems  rather  odd  I  should  have  felt  so  tow 
ard  you  when  it  was  no  use.  It  was  as  inevitable  as 
our  meeting.  The  world  and  all  that's  in  it  is  an 
awful  muddle  to  me.  But  God  bless  you,  and  if 
there's  any  good  God,  you  will  be  blessed."  I 
shivered  as  I  spoke,  and  was  about  to  leave  the 
piazza,  hastily,  when  her  eager  and  entreating  tones 
detained  me. 

"  Mr.  Morton,  you  said  that  in  spite  of  all  we 
should  be  friends  ;  let  me  claim  my  privilege  at 
once.  I'm  sure  I'm  right  in  believing  that  you're 
overwrought  and  morbid,  from  the  strange  experi 
ences  you  have  just  passed  through.  Do  not  add 
to  your  exhaustion  by  starting  off  on  another  aim 
less  walk  to-day  ;  though  you  may  think  it  might 
lead  you  to  a  better  fate,  it  cannot  bring  you  to 
those  who  care  so  deeply  for  you.  We'll  be  merry, 
true-hearted  friends  after  we've  had  time  to  rest 
and  think  it  all  over." 

"  True-hearted,   anyway,"   I   said    emphatically. 


THE  DAY  AFTER.  19 l 

What's  more,  I'll  be  sane  when  we  meet  again — 
entirely  matter  of  fact,  indeed,  since  I  already  fore 
see  that  I  shall  be  troubled  by  no  more  days  of  fate. 
Good  by  now  ;  go  and  sleep  the  sleep  of  the  just ; 
I'll  rest  quietly  here  ;"  and  I  held  out  my  hand. 
•  She  took  it  in  both  of  hers,  and  said  gently, 

Mr.  Morton,  I  believe  you  saved  my — our  lives 
last  night." 

I  had  some  hand  in  it — yes,  that  should  be  hap 
piness  enough.  I'll  make  it  answer  ;  but  never 
speak  of  it  again." 

14  When  I  cease  to  think  of  it  I  shall  cease  to 
think  at  all, "she  said,  in  strong  emphasis  ;  and  with 
a  lingering,  wistful  glance  she  passed  slowly  in  and 
up  the  winding  stairway. 

I  watched  her  as  I  would  a  ship  that  had  left  me 
on  a  desolate  rock. 

"  She  is  one  that  could  not  change  if  she  would," 
I  thought.      "  It's  all  over.      No  matter  ;   possibly 
:er  life." 

n  again  in  a  rustic  chair  on  the  piazza,  too 
miserable  and  disheartened  to  do  more  than  endure 
the  pain  of  my  disappointment.  Indeed  there  was 
nothing  else  to  do,  for  seemingly  I  had  set  my  heart 
on  the  impossible.  Her  words  and  manner  had  made 
but  one  impression — that  she  had  given  her  love 
and  faith  to  an  earlier  and  more  fortunate  suitor. 

"  It  would  be  strange  if  it  were  otherwise,"  I 
muttered.  "  I  was  the  '  idiot,"  in  thinking  that  her 
gentlemen  friends  were  blind  ;  but  I  protest  against 
a  world  in  which  men  are  left  to  blunder  so  fatally. 
The  other  day  I  felt  broken  down  physically  ;  I  now 


102  A  DA  Y   OF  FATE. 

know  that  I'm  broken  and  disabled  in  all  respects. 
The  zest  and  color  have  wholly  gone  out  of  life. 
If  I  ever  go  back  to  my  work  I  shall  find  my  coun 
terpart  in  the  most  jaded  and  dispirited  stage-horse 
in  the  city.  Miss  Warren  will  have  no  more  occa 
sion  to  criticise  light,  smartr  paragraphs.  Indeed, 
I  imagine  that  I  shall  soon  be  restricted  to  the 
obituary  notices,  and  I  now  feel  like  writing  my 
own.  Confound  these  birds  !  What  makes  them 
sing  so  ?  Nature's  a  heartless  jade  anyway.  Last 
night  she  would  have  burned  us  up  with  lightning, 
and  this  morning  there  would  have  been  not  a  whit 
less  of  song  and  sunshine.  Oh,  well,  it's  far  better 
that  my  hopes  are  in  ashes  than  that  this  house 
should  be.  I,  and  all  there  is  of  me,  is  a  small  price 
to  pay  for  this  home  and  its  inmates  ;  and  if  I  saved 
her  little  finger  from  being  scorched,  I  should  be 
well  content.  But  why  the  devil  did  I  feel  so  tow 
ard  her  when  it  was  of  no  use  !  That  fact  ir-itnf'"'« 
me.  Is  my  whole  nature  a  lie,  and  are  its  dpc 
intuitions  and  most  sacred  impulses  false  guid  ;hat 
lead  one  out  into  the  desert  to  perish  ?  In  tb^  < 
of  my  life,,  when  I  had  been  made  to  see  that  past 
tendencies  were  wrong,  and  I  was  ready  for  any 
change  for  the  better,  my  random,  aimless  steps 
led  to  this  woman,  and,  as  I  said  to  her,  the  result 
was  inevitable.  All  nature  seemed  in  league  to 
give  emphasis  to  the  verdict  of  my  own  heart,  but 
the  moment  I  reached  the  conviction  that  she  was 
created  for  me  and  I  for  her,  I  am  informed  that 
she  was  created  for  another.  I  must  therefore  be 
one  of  the  odd  ones,  for  whom  there  is  no  mate. 


THE  DA  Y  AFTER.  T93 

Curse  it  all  !  I  rather  feel  as  if  another  man  were 
going  to  marry  my  wife,  and  I  must  admit  that  I 
have  a  consuming  curiosity  to  see  him. 

"  But  this  can't  be.  Her  heart  must  have  recog 
nized  the  true  kinship  in  this  other  man — blast  him  ! 
no,  bless  him,  if  she  marries  him — 'for  she's  the  last 
one  in  the  world  to  enter  into  merely  legal  relations, 
unsanctioned  by  the  best  and  purest  instincts  of  her 
womanly  nature. 

"  It's  all  the  devil's  own  muddle." 

And  no  better  conclusion  did  I  reach  that  dismal 
morning — the  most  dismal  I  can  remember,  although 
the  hour  abounded  in  beauty  and  the  glad,  exuber 
ant  life  that  follows  a  summer  rain.  I  once  heard 
a  preacher  say  that  hell  could  be  in  heaven  and 
heaven  in  hell.  I  thought  him  a  trifle  irreverent 
at  the  time,  but  now  half  believed  him  right. 

My  waking  train  of  thought  ended  in  a  stupor  in 
which  I  do  not  think  I  lost  for  a  moment  the  dull 
consciousness  of  pain.  I  was  aroused  by  a  step 
upon  the  gravel-path,  and,  starting  up,  saw  the 
woman  who  served  Mrs.  Yocomb  in  the  domestic 
labors  of  the  farmhouse.  She  stopped  and  stared 
at  me  a  moment,  and  then  was  about  to  continue 
around  the  house  to  the  kitchen  entrance. 

Wait  a  moment,  my  good  woman,"  I  said  ; 
"  and  you'll  now  have  a  chance  to  prove  yourself  a 
good  woman,  and  a  very  helpful  and  considerate 
one,  too.  The  house  was  struck  by  lightning  last 
night." 

"  Lord  a  massy  !"  she  ejaculated,  and  she  struck 
an  attitude  with  her  hands  on  her  hips,  and  stared 


!94  A  DAY  OF  FATE. 

at    me    again,  with   her   small   eyes  and  capacious 
mouth  opened  to  their  utmost  extent. 

'  Yes,"  I  continued,  "  and  all  were  hurt  except 
Reuben.  The  doctor  has  been  here,  and  all  are 
now  better  and  sleeping,  so  please  keep  the  house 
quiet,  and  let  us  sleep  till  the  doctor  comes  again. 
Then  have  a  good  fire,  so  that  you  can  get  ready  at 
once  whatever  he  orders  for  the  patients." 

"  Lord  a  massy  !"  she  again  remarked  very  em 
phatically,  and  scuttled  off  to  her  kitchen  domains 
in  great  excitement. 

I  now  felt   that  my  watch  had  ended,  and  that  I 
could  give  the  old  farmhouse  into  the  hands  of  one 
accustomed  to  its  care.    Therefore  I  wearily  climbed 
the  stairs  to  my  room,  and  threw  myself,  drp<=c^H 
on  the  .lounge. 

After  a  moment  or  two  Miss  Warren's  door 
opened,  and  her  light  step  passed  down  to  the 
kitchen.  She,  too,  had  been  on  the  watch  for  the 
coming  of  the  domestic,  and,  if  aware  that  I  had 
seen  the  woman,  did  not  regard  me  as  competent 
to  enlighten  her  as  to  her  duties  for  the  day.  The 
kitchen  divinity  began  at  once, - 

"  Lord  a  massy,  Miss  Em'ly,  what  a  time  yer's 
all  had  !  The  strange  man  told  me.  There  hain't 
no  danger  now,  is  there  ?" 

In  response  to  some  remark  from  Miss  Warren 
she  continued,  in  shrill  volubility, 

"Yes,  he  told  me  yer's  all  struck  but  Reub'n. 
I  found  him  a-sittin'  on  the  stoop,  and  a-lookin'  all 
struck  of  a  heap  himself.  Is  that  the  way  light 
ning  'fects  folks  ?  He  looked  white  as  a  ghost,  and 


THE   DA  Y  AFTER.  195 

as  ef  he  didn't  keer  ef  he  was  one  afore  night. 
'Twas  amazin' — "  and  here  Miss  Warren  evidently 
silenced  her. 

I  heard  the  murmur  of  her  voice  as  she  gave  a 
few  brief  directions,  and  then  her  steps  returned 
swiftly  to  her  room. 

"  She  can  be  depended  upon,"  I  sighed,  "  to  do 
all  she  thinks  right.  She  must  have  been  wearied 
beyond  mortal  endurance,  and  worried  by  my  rash 
and  unlooked-for  words,  and  yet  she  keeps  up  till 
all  need  is  past.  Every  little  act  shows  that  I  might 
as  well  try  to  win  an  angel  of  heaven  as  sue  against 
her  conscience,  she  is  so  absolutely  true.  You're 
right,  old  woman  ;  I  was  '  struck,'  and  I  wish  it  had 
been  by  lightning  only." 

Just  when  I  exchanged  waking  thoughts  for  hate 
ful  dreams  I  do  not  remember.  At  last  I  started 
to  my  feet,  exclaiming, 

"  It's  all  wrong;  he  shall  not  marry  my  wife  !" 
and  then  I  sat  down  on  the  lounge  and  tried  to 
extricate  myself  from  the  shadows  of  sleep,  and 
thus  become  able  to  recognize  the  facts  of  the  real 
world  that  I  must  now  face.  Slowly  the  events  of 
the  previous  day  and  night  came  back,  and  with 
them  a  sense  of  immeasurable  loss.  The  sun  was 
low  in  the  west,  thus  proving  that  my  unrefreshing 
stupor  had  lasted  many  hours.  The  clatter  of 
knives  and  forks  indicated  preparations  for  supper 
in  the  dining-room  below.  I  dreaded  meeting  the 
family  and  all  words  of  thanks,  as  one  would  the 
touching  of  a  diseased  nerve.  More  than  all,  I 
dreaded  meeting  Miss  Warren  again,  feeling  that 


196  A    DAY  OF  FATE. 

we  both  would  be  under  a  wretched  constraint.  My 
evil  mood  undoubtedly  had  physical  causes,  for  my 
mouth  was  parched,  my  head  throbbed  and  ached, 
and  I  felt  so  ill  in  body  and  mind,  so  morbid  and 
depressed,  that  I  was  ready  to  escape  to  New  York 
without  seeing  a  soul,  were  the  thing  possible. 

The  door  opened  softly,  and  I  saw  Reuben's 
ruddy,  happy  face. 

"  Oh,  I'm  so  glad  thee's  awake,"  he  said. 
"  They're  all  doing  well.  Adah's  got  well  so  fast 
that  she  actually  looks  better  than  Emily  Warren. 
Even  Zillah's  quite  bright  this  evening,  only  she's 
so  weak  she  can't  sit  up  much,  but  the  doctor  says 
it'll  wear  away.  Thee  doesn't  look  very  extra,  and 
no  wonder,  thee  did  so  much.  Father,  mother,  and 
Emily  Warren  have  been  talking  about  thee  for  the 
last  two  hours,  and  Adah  can't  ask  questions 
enough  about  thee,  and  how  thee  found  her.  She 
says  the  last  thing  she  saw  was  thee  on  the  lawn, 
and  thee  was  the  first  thing  she  saw  when  she  came 
to,  and  now  she  says  she  can't  help  seeing  thee  all 
the  time.  Emily  Warren  said  we  must  let  thee 
sleep  as  long  as  thee  would,  for  that,  she  said,  was 
what  thee  needed  most  of  all." 

"  She's  mistaken,"  I  muttered,  starting  up. 
"Reuben,"  I  continued  aloud,  "you're  a  good, 
brave  fellow.  I'll  come  down  to  supper  as  soon  as 
I  can  fairly  wake  up.  I  feel  as  stupid  as  an  owl  at 
midday,  but  I'm  exceedingly  glad  that  all  are 
doing  well." 

When  he  left  me  I  thought,  "  Well,  I  will  keep 
up  for  two  or  three  hours,  and  then  can  excuse 


THE   DAY  AFTER.  197 

rnyself.  To-morrow  I  can  return  to  New  York, 
since  clearly  this  will  be  no  place  for  me.  Miss 
Warren  thinks  that  a  little  sleep  will  cure  me,  and 
that  I  will  be  sane  and  sensible  now  that  I  am 
awake.  She  will  find  me  matter  of  fact  indeed,  for 
I  feel  like  a  bottle  of  champagne  that  has  stood  un 
corked  for  a  month  ;  but  may  the  devil  fly  away 
with  me  if  I  play  the  forlorn,  lackadaisical  lover,  and 
show  my  wounds." 

I  bathed  my  face  again  and  again,  and  made  as 
careful  a  toilette  as  circumstances  permitted. 

In  their  kind-hearted  simplicity  they  had  evi 
dently  planned  'a  sort  of  family  ovation,  for  as  I 
came  out  on  the  piazza  they  were  all  there  except 
Miss  Warren,  who  sat  at  her  piano  playing  softly  ; 
but  as  Mr.  Yocomb  rose  to  greet  me  she  turned 
toward  us,  and  through  the  open  window  could  see 
us  and  hear  all  that  passed.  The  old  gentleman 
still  bore  marks  of  his  shock  and  the  illness  that 
followed,  but  there  was  nothing  weak  or  limp  in 
his  manner  as  he  grasped  my  hand  and  began 
warmly, 

„  "  Richard  Morton,  last  night  I  said  thee  was  wel 
come  ;  I  now  say  this  home  is  as  truly  thine  as 
mine.  Thee  saved  mother  and  the  children  from—" 
and  here  his  voice  was  choked  by  emotion. 

Mrs.  Yocomb  seized  my  other  hand,  and  I  saw 
that  she  was  "  moved"  now  if  ever,  for  her  face 
was  eloquent  with  kindly,  grateful  feeling. 

"  Please  don't,"  I  said,  so  sharply  as  to  indicate 
irritation,  for  I  felt  that  I  couJd  not  endure  another 
syllable.  Then,  slapping  Reuben  brusquely  on  the 


T9  A    DA  Y  OF  FATE. 

shoulder,  I  added,  "  Reuben  did  as  much  as  I  did  : 
thank  him.  Any  tramp  from  New  York  would  try 
to  do  as  much  as  I  did,  and  might  have  done  bet 
ter.  Ah,  here  is  Zillah  !"  And  I  saw  that  the  lit 
tle  girl  was  propped  up  on  pillows  just  within  the 
parlor  window,  where  she  could  enjoy  the  cool 
evening  air  without  too  great  exposure.  "  If  she'll 
give  me  another  kiss  we'll  call  it  all  square  and  say 
no  more  about  it."  I  leaned  over  the  window- 
sill. 

The  child  put  her  arms  around  my  neck  and  clung 
to  me  for  a  moment.  There  could  have  been  no 
better  antidote  for  my  mood  of  irritable  protest 
against  my  fate  than  the  child's  warm  and  innocent 
embrace,  and  for  a  moment  it  was  balm  indeed. 

'  There,"  I  cried,  kissing  her  twice,  "  now  I'm 
overpaid."  As  I  raised  my  eyes  I  met  those  of 
Miss  Warren  as  she  sat  by  her  piano. 

'Yes,"  she  said,  with  a  smile,  "after  that  I 
should  think  you  would  be  more  than  content." 

"  I  certainly  ought  to  be,"  I  replied,  looking  at 
her  steadily. 

"  Zillah's  very  grateful,"  Miss  Warren  continued. 
"  She  knows  that  you  watched  with  her  till  morn 
ing." 

"  So  did  other  night-owls,  Zillah,  and  they  were 
quite  as  useful  as  I  was." 

She  reached  up  her  hand  and  pulled  me  down. 
"  Mother  said,"  she  began. 

'  You  needn't  tell  a  stranger  what  mother  said," 
and  I  put  my  finger  on  her  lips. 

"  Thee's  no  more  of  a  stranger  than  Emily  War- 


THE  DAY  AFTER.  199 

ren,"  said  the  little  girl  reproachfully.      "  I  can't 
think  of  thee  without  thinking  of  her." 

I  raised  my  eyes  in  a  quick  flash  toward  the  young 
lady,  but  she  had  turned  to  the  piano,  and  her  right 
hand  was  evoking  a  few  low  chords. 

"  Miss  Warren  can  tell  you,"  I  said,  laughing, 
"  that  when  people  have  been  struck  by  lightning 
they  often  don't  think  straight  for  a  long  time  to 
come.'' 

"  Crooked  thinking  sometimes  happens  without 
so  vivid  a  cause,"  Miss  Warren  responded,  without 
looking  around. 

"  Zillah's  right  in  thinking  that  thee  can  never 
be  a  stranger  in  this  home,"  said  Mrs.  Yocomb 
warmly. 

"  Mrs.  Yocomb,  please  don't  think  me  insensible 
to  the  feelings  which  are  so  apparent.  Should  I 
live  centuries,  the  belief  that  I  had  served  you  and 
yours  after  your  kindness  would  still  be  my  pleas- 
antest  thought.  But  you  overrate  what  I  have 
done  :  it  was  such  obvious  duty  that  any  one  would 
have  done  the  same,  or  else  his  ears  should  have 
been  cropped.  It  gives  me  a  miserably  mean 
feeling  to  have  you  thank  me  so  for  it.  Please 
don't  any  more." 

'  We  forget,"  said  Miss  Warren,  advancing  to 
the  window,  "  that  Mr.  Morton  is  versed  in  trage 
dies,  and  has  daily  published  more  dreadful  affairs." 
'  Yes,  and  has  written  '  paragraphs  '  about  them 
that  no  doubt  seemed  quite  as  lurid  as  the  events 
themselves,  suggesting  that  I  gloated  over  disas 
ters  as  so  much  material." 


A    DAY   OF  FA  TE. 

Mr.  Morton,  isn't   it   nearly  as  bad  to  tell  fibs 
about  one's  self  as  about  other  people  ?" 

"  My  depravity  will  be  a  continuous  revelation  to 
you,  Miss  Warren,"  I  replied. 

With  a  low  laugh  she  answered,  "  I  see  you  make 
no  secret  of  it,"  and  she  went  back  to  her  piano. 

I  had  bowed  cordially  to  Adah  as  I  joined  the 
family  group,  and  had  been  conscious  all  the  time 
of  her  rather  peculiar  and  fixed  scrutiny,  which  I 
imagined  suggested  a  strong  curiosity  more  than 
anything  else. 

"  Well,  Richard  Morton,"  said  Mr.  Yocomb,  as 
if  the  words  were  irrepressible,  "  thee  knows  a  lit 
tle  of  how  we  feel  toward  thee,  if  thee  won't  let  us 
say  as  much  as  we  would  like.  I  love  this  old 
home  in  which  I  was  born  and  have  lived  until  this 
day.  I  could  never  build  another  home  like  it  if 
every  leaf  on  the  farm  were  a  bank-note.  But  I 
love  the  people  who  live  here  far  more.  Richard 
Morton,  I  know  how  it  would  all  have  ended,  and 
thee  knows.  The  house  was  on  fire,  and  all  within 
it  were  helpless  and  unconscious.  I've  seen  it  all 
to-day,  and  Reuben  has  told  us.  May  the  Lord 
bless  thee  for  what  thou  hast  done  for  me  and 
mine  !  I'm  not  going  to  burden  thee  with  our  grat 
itude,  but  truth  is  truth,  and  we  must  speak  out 
once  for  all,  to  be  satisfied.  Thee  knows,  too,  that 
when  a  Friend  has  anything  on  his  mind  it's  got  to 
come;  hasn't  it,  mother?  Richard  Morton,  thee 
has  saved  us  all  from  a  horrible  death." 

'  Yes,  Mr.  Morton,"   said   Miss  Warren,  coming 
again   to  the  window  and  laughing  at  my  crimson 


THE  DA  Y  AFTER.  201 

face  and  embarrassment.  "  you  must  face  that 
truth — there's  no  escaping  it.  Forgive  me,  Mr. 
Vocomb,  for  laughing  over  so  serious  a  subject,  but 
Reuben  and  Mr.  Morton  amuse  me  so  much.  Mr. 
Morton  already  says  that  any  tramp  from  New  York 
would  have  done  the  same.  By  easy  transition  he 
will  soon  begin  to  insist  that  it  was  some  other 
tramp.  I  now  understand  evolution." 

"  Emily  Warren,  thce  needn't  laugh  at  Richard 
Morton,"  said  Reuben  a  little  indignantly;  "  thee 
owes  more  to  him  than  to  any  other  man  living." 

She  did  not  turn  to  the  piano  so  quickly  now 
but  that  I  saw  her  face  flush  at  the  unlooked-for 
speech. 

4  That  you  are  mistaken,  Reuben,  no  one  knows 
better  than  Miss  Warren  herself,"  I  replied  irritably. 

She  turned  quickly  and  said,  in  alow  tone,  "  You 
are  right.  Mr.  Morton.  Friends  do  not  keep  a  debit 
and  credit  account  with  each  other.  I  shall  not 
forget,  however,  that  Reuben  is  right  also,  even 
though  I  may  seem  to  sometimes,"  and  she  left 
the  room. 

I  was  by  the  open  window,  and  I  do  not  think 
any  one  heard  her  words  except  Zillah,  and  she  did 
not  understand  them. 

I  stood  looking  after  her,  forgetful  of  all  else, 
when  a  hand  laid  upon  my  ami  caused  me  to  look 
around,  and  I  met  Adah's  gaze,  and  it  was  as  fixed 
and  intent  as  that  of  a  child. 

44  She  doesn't  owe  thee  any  more  than  I  do, "she 
said  gravely.  "  I  wish  I  could  do  something  for 
thee." 


202  A  DA  V   OF  FA  TE. 

'Why  do  you  say  '  thee  '  to  me  now? — you 
always  said  '  you  '  before,"  I  asked. 

"  I  don't  know.  It  seems  as  if  I  couldn't  say 
'  you  '  to  thee  any  more,"  and  a  delicate  color  stole 
into  her  face. 

'  We  all  feel  as  if  thee  were  one  of  us  now,"  ex 
plained  Mrs.  Yocomb  gently,  "  and  I  trust  that  life 
will  henceforth  seem  to  Adah  a  more  sacred  thing, 
and  worthy  of  more  sacred  uses."  And  she  passed 
into  the  house  to  prepare  for  supper. 

Mr.  Yocomb  followed  her,  and  Reuben  went 
down  to  the  barn. 

"  If  you  live  to  grow  like  your  mother,  Miss 
Adah,  you  will  be  the  most  beautiful  woman  in  the 
world,"  I  said  frankly,  for  I  felt  as  if  I  could  speak 
to  her  almost  as  I  would  to  Zillah. 

Her  eyes  drooped  and  her  color  deepened  as  she 
shook  her  head  and  murmured, 

"  I'd  rather  be  Emily  Warren  than  any  other 
woman  in  the  world." 

Her  words  and  manner  so  puzzled  me  that  I 
thought  she  had  not  fully  recovered  from  the 
effects  of  the  shock,  and  I  replied,  in  an  off-hand 
way, 

41  After  a  few  weeks  of  teaching  stupid  children 
to  turn  noise  into  music  you  would  gladly  be  your 
self  again." 

She  paid  no  heed  to  this  remark,  but,  with  the 
same  intent,  exploring  look,  asked, 

"  Thee  was  the  first  one  I  saw  when  I  came  to, 
last  night  ?" 

*'  We     nnrl   t/rtMi   \vf*rf*  mnrVi   nfrairl    of  m<» 


THE   DAY  AFTER.  203 

"  I  was  foolish — I  fear  mother's  right,  and  I've 
always  been  foolish." 

"Your  manner  last  night  was  most  natural.  I 
was  a  stranger,  and  a  hard-looking  customer,  too, 
when  I  entered  your  room." 

"  I  hope  I  didn't  look  very — very  bad." 

"  You  looked  so  like  a  beautiful  piece  of  marble 
that  I  feared  you  were  dead." 

'  Thee  wouldn't  have  cared  much." 

"  Indeed  I  would.  If  you  knew  how  anxious  I 
was  about  Zillah — " 

'  Ugh  !"  she  interrupted,  with  an  expression  of 
strong  disgust,  "  I  might  have  been  a  horrid,  black 
ened  thing  if  it  hadn't  been  for  thee." 

"  Oh,  hush  !"  I  cried  ;  "  I  merely  threw  a  couple 
of  pails  of  water  on  the  roof.  Please  say  no  more 
about  it." 

She  passed  her  hand  over  her  brow,  and  said 
hesitatingly, 

I'm  so  puzzled — I    feel  so  strangely.      It  seems 
an  age  since  yesterday." 

'  You've  had  a  very  severe  shock,  Miss  Adah." 
'  Yes,  that  may  be  it  ;   but  it's  so  strange   that 
I  was  afraid  of  thee." 

'  Why,  Miss  Adah,  I  was  wet  as  a  drowned  rat, 
and  had  a  black  mark  across  my  nose.  I  would 
have  made  an  ideal  burglar." 

'  That  oughtn't  to  have  made  any  difference  ; 
thee  was  trying  to  save  my  life." 

"  But  you  didn't  know  it." 

"  I  don't  believe  I  know  anything  rightly.  I — I 
feel  so  strange — just  as  if  I  had  waked  up  and  hadn't 


204  A    DAY   OF  FA  TE. 

got  anything  clear.  Bu.t  I  know  this  much,  in  spite 
of  what  Reuben  said,"  she  added  impulsively; 
"  Emily  Warren  doesn't  owe  thee  any  more  than  I 
do."  And  she  turned  like  a  flash  and  was  gone. 

"  Poor  child,"  I  muttered,  <v  she  hasn't  recovered 
as  fully  as  the  others." 

I  had  been  holding  one  of  Zillah's  hands  during 
the  interview,  and  she  now  pulled  me  down  and 
whispered, 

'  What's    the   matter  with   thee,  Richard    Mor 
ton  ?" 

"  Heaven  grant  you  may  never  know,  little  one. 
Good-by."  I  had  scarcely  left  the  piazza,  how 
ever,  before  Mrs.  Yocomb  called, 

"  Richard  Morton,  thee  must  be  famished. 
Come  to  supper." 


CHAPTER    II. 

"  IT   WAS    INEVITABLE." 
• 

I  OUGHT  to  have  had  a  ravenous  appetite,  but 
I  had  none  at  all.  I  ought  to  have  been  glad 
and  thankful  from  the  depths  of  my  heart,  but  I 
was  so  depressed  that  everything  I  said  was  forced 
and  unnatural.  My  head  felt  as  if  it  were  burst 
ing,  and  I  was  so  enraged  with  myself,  and  the 
wretched  result  of  my  bright  dream,  that  I  wished 
it  would  explode  and  end  everything.  Indeed  1 
found  myself  inclined  to  a  spirit  of  recklessness  and 
irritation  that  was  well  nigh  irresistible. 

Miss  Warren  seemed  as  wholly  free  from  any 
morbid,  unnatural  tendencies  as  Mr.  Yocomb  him 
self,  and  she  did  her  utmost  to  make  the  hour  as 
genial  as  it  should  have  been.  At  first  I  imagined 
that  she  was  trying  to  satisfy  herself  that  I  had  re 
covered  my  senses,  and  that  my  unexpected  words, 
spoken  in  the  morning,  were  the  result  of  a  mood 
that  was  as  transient  as  it  was  abnormal.  I  think 
I  puzzled  her  ;  I  certainly  did  not  understand  my 
self  any  better  than  did  poor  Adah,  whose  mind  ap 
peared  to  be  in  solution  from  the  effects  of  the 
lightning,  and  I  felt  that  I  must  be  appearing  worse 
than  idiotic.  ' 

Miss  Warren,  resolutely  bent  on  banishing  every 
unnatural  constraint,  asked  Mr.  Yocomb, 

"How  is  my  genuine  friend,  Old  Plod?  Did 
the  lightning  wake  him  up  ?" 


206  A    DAY  OF  FA  TE. 

'*  No,  he  plods  as  heavily  as  ever  this  morning. 
Thee  only  can  wake  him  up." 

4  You've  no  idea  what  a  compliment  that  is," 
she  said,  with  a  low  laugh.  "  Old  Plod  inspires  me 
with  a  sense  of  confidence* and  stability  that  is  very 
reassuring  in  a  world  full  of  lightning  flashes." 

'  Yes,"  I  said,  "  he  is  safe  as  a  horse-block,  and 
quite  as  exhilarating.  Give  me  Dapple." 

She  looked  at  me  quickly  and  keenly,  and  colored 
slightly.  She  evidently  had  some  association  in  her 
mind  with  the  old  plough-horse  that  I  did  not  un 
derstand. 

Exhilaration  scarcely  answers  as  a  steady  diet, 
Mr.  Morton." 

"  Little  chance  of  its  lasting  long,"  I  replied, 
44  even  in  a  world  overcharged  with  electricity." 

"  I  prefer  calm,  steady  sunshine  to  these  wild 
alternations." 

"I  doubt  it;  'calm,  steady  sunshine'  would 
make  the  world  as  dry  and  monotonous  as  a 
desert." 

14  That's  true,  Richard  Morton,"  said  Mr.  Yocomb. 
14  I  like  peace  and  quiet  more  than  most  men,  but 
even  if  we  had  all  burned  up  last  night,  this  part  of 
the  world  would  have  been  wonderfully  the  better 
for  the  storm.  I  reckon  it  was  worth  a  million  or 
more  dollars  to  the  county." 

4  That's  the  right  way  to  look  at  it,  Mr. 
Yocomb,"  I  said  carelessly.  '  The  greatest  good 
to  the  greatest  number.  Individuals  are  of  no  ac 
count." 

4  Your  philosophy  may  be  true,  but  I  don't  like 


"IT  WAS  INEVITABLE:'  207 

it,"   Miss  Warren  protested.      "  A  woman  doesn't 
generalize." 

4  Thy  philosophy  is  only  half  true,  Richard  Mor 
ton.  God  cares  for  each  one  o'f  his  children,  and 
every  one  in  my  house  counts  for  much  to  me." 

'  There's  no  getting  ahead  of  thee,  mother.  If 
we  want  to  talk  heresy,  Richard  Morton,  we  must 
go  off  by  ourselves." 

"  I  think  God  showed  his  love  for  us  in  a  queer 
way  last  night,"  said  Adah  abruptly. 

Both  her  father  and  mother  looked  pained  at  this 
speech,  and  Mrs.  Yocomb  said  gravely, 

'  Thee'll  see  things  in  the  true  light  some  day,  I 
hope.  The  lightning  bolt  may  have  been  -a  mes 
sage  from  heaven  to  thee." 

"  It  seems  to  me  that  Zillah  got  more  of  the  mes 
sage  than  I  did,  and  she  didn't  need  any,"  said  the 
matter-of-fact  Adah.  "  At  any  rate  I  hope  Richard 
Morton  may  be  here  if  I  ever  get  another  mes 
sage." 

"  I  shall  surely  be  struck  next  time,"  I  laughed, 
a  trifle  bitterly  ;  "  for  according  to  Mrs.  Yocomb's 
view  I  need  a  message  more  than  any  of  you." 

It  was  evident  that  neither  Adah  nor  I  was  in 
a  .  frame  of  mind  that  Mrs.  Yocomb  could  com 
mand. 

"  As  you  suggested,  Mr.  Morton,  if  some  other 
tramp  from  New  York  had  been  present,  what  a 
thrilling  narrative  you  could  write  for  your  paper," 
Miss  Warren  began.  Seemingly  she  had  had  enough 
of  clouds  the  previous  evening,  and  was  bent  on 
clear  skies  to-night, 


208  A  DAY   OF  FA  TE. 

She  found  me -incorrigible,  however,  for  I  said 
briefly, 

Oh,  no,  it  would  only  make  an  item  among  the 
crimes  and  casualties." 

Undaunted,  she  replied,  "  And  such  might  have 
been  its  appropriate  place  had  not  the  doctor  ar 
rived  so  promptly.  The  casualty  had  already  oc 
curred,  and  I'm  quite  sure  you  would  have  finished 
us  all  with  original  remedies  if  left  to  yourself." 

"  I  agree  with  you,  Miss  Warren  ;  blunders  are 
worse  than  crimes,  and  I've  a  genius  for  them/" 

'  Well,  I'm  not  a  genius  in  any  sense  of  the 
word.  Miss  Adah  and  I  look  at  things  as  they  are. 
One  would  think,  Mr.  Morton,  accepting  your  view 
of  yourself,  that  you  could  supply  your  paper  with 
all  crimes  and  casualties  required,  as  the  result  of 
the  genius  you  claim." 

"  Stupid  blunders  would  make  stupid  read 
ing." 

"  Oh,  that  column  in  your  paper  is  very  interest 
ing,  then  ?" 

"  Why  shouldn't  it  be  ?  I've  never  had  the  bad 
taste  to  publish  in  it  anything  about  myself." 

"  I  fail  to  find  any  logic  in  that  remark.  Have 
you  a  conscience,  Mr.  Morton  ?" 

"  The  idea  of  an  editor's  having  a  conscience  ! 
I  doubt  whether  you  have  ever  seen  New  York, 
Miss  Warren,  you  are  so  unsophisticated." 

"  Emily,  thee  shouldn't  be  afraid  of  lightning 
when  thee  and  Richard  Morton  are  so  ready  to 
flash  back  and  forth  at  one  another." 

"  My  words  are  only  heat  lightning,  very  harm- 


"IT  WAS  INEVITABLE"  209 

less,  and    Mr.  Morton's    partake    of  the   aurora    in 
character — they  are  cool  and  distant." 

"  I  hope  they  are  not  as  mysterious,"  I   replied. 
'  Their  cause  is,  quite." 

I  think  I  understand  the  cause,"  said  Mrs. 
Yocomb  as  we  rose  from  the  table  ;  and  she  came 
and  took  my  hand.  "  Richard  Morton,  thee  has 
fever  ;  thy  hands  are  hot  and  thy  temples  are  throb 
bing." 

I  saw  that  Miss  Warren  was  looking  at  me  with 
an  expression  that  was  full  of  kind,  regretful  inter 
est  ;  but  with  the  perversity  of  a  child  that  should 
have  been  shaken,  I  replied  recklessly, 

"  I've  taken  cold,  I  fear.  1  sat  on  the  piazza 
like  an  owl  last  night,  and  I  learned  that  an  owl 
would  have  been  equally  useful  there.  I  fear  I'm 
going  to  be  ill,  Mrs.  Yocomb,  and  I  think  I  had 
better  make  a  precipitate  retreat  to  my  den  in  New 
York." 

"Who'll  take  care  of  thee  in  thy  den?"  she 
asked,  with  a  smile  that  would  have  disarmed 
cynicism  itself. 

"  Oh,  they  can  spare  a  devil  from  the  office  occa 
sionally,"  I  said  carelessly  ;  but  I  felt  that  my  re 
mark  was  brutal.  In  answer  to  her  look  of  pained 
surprise  I  added,  "  Pardon  me  that  I  used  the  vile 
slang  of  the  shop  ;  I  meant  one  of  the  boys  em 
ployed  in  the  printing-rooms.  Mrs.  Yocomb,  I 
have  now  satisfied  you  that  I'm  too  much  of  a  bear 
to  deserve  any  gentler  nurse.  I  truly  think  I  had 
better  return  to  town  at  once.  I've  never  been 
very  ill,  and  have  no  idea  how  to  behave.  It's 


2io  A    DAY  OF  FATE. 

already  clear  that  I  wouldn't  prove  a  meek  and  in 
teresting  patient,  and  I  don't  want  to  lose  your 
good  opinion." 

"  Richard  Morton,  if  thee  should  leave  us  now  I 
should  feel  hurt  beyond  measure.  Thee's  not  thy 
self  or  thee  wouldn't  think  of  it." 

"  Richard  Morton,  thee  cannot  go,"  said  Mr. 
Yocomb  in  his  hearty  way.  "  If  thee  knew  mother 
as  I  do,  thee'd  give  right  in.  I  don't  often  put  my 
foot  down,  but  when  I  do,  it's  like  old  South 
Mountain  there.  Ah,  here  comes  the  doctor. 
Doctor  Bates,  if  thee  doesn't  prescribe  several 
weeks  of  quiet  life  in  this  old  farmhouse  for  Friend 
Morton,  I'll  start  right  off  to  find  a  doctor  who 
will." 

Please  stay,  and  I'll  gather  wild  strawberries 
for  thee, "said  Adah,  in  a  low  tone.  She  had  stolen 
close  to  my  side,  and  still  had  the  wistful,  intent 
look  of  a  child. 

'  You  might  do  worse,"  Doctor  Bates  remarked. 

'  You'll  never  make  him  believe  that,"  laughed 
Miss  Warren,  who  evidently  believed  in  tonic  treat 
ment  and  counter-irritants.  "  He  would  much 
prefer  sultry  New  York  and  an  imp  from  the  print 
ing-rooms." 

'  Thee  may  drive  Dapple  all  thee  wishes  if 
thee'll  only  stay,"  said  Reuben,  his  round,  boyish 
face  shadowed  with  unwonted  anxiety. 

We  were  standing  in  the  hall-way,  and  Zillah 
heajpl  our  talk,  for  her  little  figure  came  tottering 
out  of  the  parlor  in  her  trailing  wrapper,  and  her 
eyes  were  full  of  tears. 


4 '77'  WAS  INEVITABLE"  211 

"  Richard  Morton,  if  thee  doesn't  stay  I'll  cry 
myself  sick." 

I  caught  her  up  in  my  arms  and  carried  her  back 
to  the  sofa,  and  I  whispered  in  her  ear, 

"  I'll  stay,  Zillah  ;   I'll  do  anything  for  you." 

The  child  clapped  her  hands  gleefully  as  she  ex 
claimed, 

"  Now  I've  got  thee.  He's  promised  me  to 
stay,  mother." 

'  Yes,"  said  the  physician,  after  feeling  my  pulse, 
"  you  certainly  must,  and  you  ought  to  be  in  bed 
this  moment.  Your  pulse  indicates  a  very  high 
fever.  What's  more,  you  seem  badly  run  down.  I 
shall  put  you  under  active  treatment  at  once  ;  that 
is,  if  you'll  trust  me." 

' '  Go  ahead,  doctor, ' '  I  said,  ' '  and  get  me  through 
one  way  or  the  other  before  very  long.  Because 
these  friends  are  so  good  and  kind  is  no  reason  why 
I  should  become  a  burden  to  them,"  and  1  sank 
down  on  the  sofa  in  the  hall. 

'  Thee'll  do  us  a  great  wrong  if  thee  ever  thinks 
that,  Richard  Morton,"  said  Mrs.  Yocomb  earnest 
ly.  "  Adah,  thee  see  that  his  room  is  ready.  I'm 
going  to  take  thee  in  hand  myself ;"  and  she  bustled 
off  to  the  kitchen. 

"  You  couldn't  be  in  better  hands,  Mr.  Morton," 
said  the  physician  ;  "  and  Mrs.  Yocomb  can  do 
more  for  you  than  I  can.  I'll  try  and  help  a  little, 
however,  and  will  prescribe  for  you  after  I've  seen 
Zillah  ;"  and  he  and  Mr.  Yocomb  went  into  the 
parlor,  while  Reuben,  with  a  triumphant  chuckle, 
started  for  the  barn. 


212  A    DA  V   OF  FATE. 

Now  that  I  was  alone  for  a  moment,  Miss  War 
ren,  who  had  been  standing  in  the  doorway,  and  a 
little  aloof,  came  to  me,  and  her  face  was  full  of 
trouble  as  she  said  hurriedly,  in  a  low  tone, 

"  I  fear  I'm  to  blame  for  this.  You'll  never 
know  how  sorry  I  am.  I  do  owe  you  so  much  ! 
Please  get  well  quickly  or  I'll —  "  and  she  hesitated. 

•'  You  are  the  only  one  who  did  not  ask  me  to 
stay,"  I  said  reproachfully. 

"  I  know  it  ;  I  know,  too,  that  I'd  be  ill  in 
your  place  if  I  could." 

"  How  could  I  help  loving  you  !"  I  said  impetu 
ously.  "  There,  forgive  me,"  I  added  hastily  as  I 
saw  her  look  of  pain  and  almost  fright.  "  Remem 
ber  I'm  ill,  delirious  it  may  be  ;  but  whatever  hap 
pens,  also  remember  that  I  said  I  wouldn't  change 
anything.  Were  it  all  to  do  over  again  I'd  do  the 
same.  It  was  inevitable  :  I'm  sane  enough  to 
know  that.  You  are  not  in  the  least  to  blame." 

She  hung  on  my  last  words  as  if  I  were  giving 
her  absolution  from  a  mortal  sin. 

11  It's  all  a  mistake.  Oh,  if  you  but  knew  how  I 
regret — " 

Steps  were  approaching.  I  shook  my  head,  with 
a  dreary  glimmer  of  a  smile. 

"  Good-by,"  I  said  in  a  whisper,  and  wearily 
closed  my  eyes. 

Everything  soon  became  very  confused.  I  re 
membered  Mr.  Yocomb's  helping  me  to  my  room. 
I  saw  Adah's  intent,  wistful  look  as  I  tried  to  thank 
her.  Mrs.  Yocomb's  kind,  motherly  face  changed 
into  the  features  of  my  own  mother,  and  then  came 
a  long-  blank. 


CHAPTER    III. 

RETURNING  CONSCIOUSNESS. 

I  SEEM  ED  to  waken  as  if  from  a  long,  troubled 
sleep.  At  first  I  was  merely  conscious  that  I 
was  awake,  and  I  wondered  how  long  I  had  slept. 
Then  I  was  glad  I  was  awake,  and  that  my  confused 
and  hateful  dreams,  of  which  no  distinct  memory 
remained,  had  vanished.  The  only  thing  I  could 
recall  concerning  them  was  an  indefinite  and  oppres 
sive  sense  of  loss  of  some  kind,  at  which  I  had 
vaguely  and  impotently  protested, 

I  knew  I  was  awake,  and  yet  I  felt  too  languid  to 
open  my  eyes.  I  was  little  more  than  barely  con 
scious  of  existence,  and  I  rather  enjoyed  this  nega 
tive  condition  of  complete  inertia.  The  thought 
floated  through  my  mind  that  I  was  like  anew-born 
child,  that  knows  nothing,  fears  nothing,  thinks 
nothing,  but  simply  breathes,  and  I  felt  so  tired 
and  "  gone"  that  I  coveted  an  age  of  mere  respira 
tion. 

But  thought  slowly  kindled  in  a  weak,  fitful  fash 
ion.  I  first  became  slightly  curious  about  myself. 
Why  had  I  slept  so  profoundly  ?  Why  was  I  so 
nerveless  and  stupid  after  such  a  sleep  ? 

Instead  of  answering  these  questions,  I  weakly 
wandered  off  into  another  train  of  thought.  "  My 
mind  seems  a  perfect  blank,"  I  said  to  myself.  "  I 
don't  remember  anything ;  I  don't  know  where  I 


214  A    DAY  OF  FATE. 

am,  and  don't  much  care  ;  nor  do  I  know  what  my 
experience  will  be  when  I  fully  rouse  myself.  This 
is  like  beginning  a  new  existence.  What  shall  be 
the  first  entry  on  the  blank  page  of  my  wakening 
mind  ?  Perhaps  I  had  better  rouse  up  and  see 
whether  I  am  truly  alive." 

And  yet  I  did  not  rise,  but  just  lay  still,  heavy 
with  a  strange,  painless  inertia,  over  which  I  puzzled 
in  a  vague,  weak  way. 

At  last  I  was  sure  I  heard  a  child  crying.  Then 
there  was  a  voice,  that  I  thought  I  had  heard  be 
fore,  trying  to  hush  and  reassure  the  child,  and  I 
began  to  think  who  they  were,  and  yet  I  did  not 
seem  to  care  enough  to  open  my  eyes  to  see. 

I  next  heard  something  like  a  low  sob  near  me, 
and  it  caused  a  faint  thrill  among  my  sluggish 
nerves.  Surely  I  had  heard  that  sound  before,  and 
curiosity  so  far  asserted  itself  that  I  opened  my 
eyes  and  looked  wonderingly  around. 

The  room  was  unfamiliar,  and  yet  I  was  certain 
I  had  seen  it  on  some  previous  occasion.  Seated  at 
a  window,  however,  was  a  lady  who  soon  absorbed 
my  whole  weak  and  wavering  attention.  My  first 
thought  was,  "  How  very  pretty  she  is  !"  Then, 
"  What  is  she  looking  at  so  steadfastly  from  the 
window  ?"  After  a  moment  I  mentally  laughed  at 
my  stupidity.  "  She's  looking  at  the  sunset. 
What  else  should  she  be  looking  at  ?  Can  I  have 
slept  all  day?" 

I  saw  her  bosom  heave  with  another  convul 
sive  sob,  and  that  tears  fast  followed  each  other 
down  her  cheeks.  I  seemed  to  have  the  power  of 


RETURNING   CONSCIOUSNESS.  215 

noting  everything  distinctly,  but  I  couldn't  under 
stand  or  account  for  what  I  saw.  Who  was  that 
sweet-faced  girl  ?  Beyond  a  doubt  I  had  seen  her 
before,  but  where  ?  Why  was  she  crying  ?  Wrhy 
was  she  in  my  room  ? 

Then  I  thought,  "  It  must  be  all  imaginary  ;  I 
doubt  whether  I  am  awake  yet.  If  she  were  only 
smiling  instead  of  crying,  I  would  like  to  dream  on 
forever.  How  strangely  familiar  her  face  is  !  I 
must  have  seen  it  daily  for  years,  and  yet  I  can't 
recognize  it." 

The  loud  whinny  of  a  horse  seemed  to  give  my 
paralyzed  memory  an  impetus  and  suggestion,  by 
means  of  which  I  began  to  reconstruct  the  past. 

"That's  Old  Plod!"  I  exclaimed  mentally. 
"  And — and — why,  that's  Miss  Warren  sitting  by 
the  window.  I  remember  now.  We  were  in  the 
barn  together,  and  I  was  jealous  of  the  old  horse — 
how  absurd  !  Then  we  were  in  the  garden,  and  she 
was  laughing  at  me.  How  like  a  dream  it  all  is  ! 
It  seemed  as  if  she  was  always  laughing,  and  that 
the  birds  might  well  stop  singing  to  listen.  Now 
she  is  crying  here  in  my  room.  I  half  believe  it's 
an  apparition,  and  that  if  I  speak  it  will  vanish. 
Perhaps  it  is  a  warning  that  she's  in  trouble  some 
where,  and  that  I  ought  to  go  to  her  help.  How 
lovely  she  looks,  with  her  hands  lying  in  her  lap,  for 
getful  of  the  work  they  hold,  and  her  tearful  eyes 
fixed  on  the  glowing  west  !  Her  face  is  very  pale 
in  contrast.  Surely  she's  only  a  shadow,  and  the 
real  maiden  is  in  need  of  my  aid  ;"  and  I  made  an 
effort  to  rise. 


2 1 6  A    DA  Y  OF  FA  TE. 

It  seemed  exceedingly  strange  that  I  could  scarce 
ly  lift  my  hand  ;  but  my  slight  movement  caused 
her  to  look  around,  and  in  answer  to  my  gaze  of 
eager  inquiry  she  came  softly  and  hesitatingly  tow 
ard  me. 

"  Miss  Warren,"  I  said,  "  can  it  be  you  in  very 
truth  ?" 

"  Yes,"  she  replied,  with  a  sudden  and  glad  light 
ing  up  of  her  face,  "  but  please  don't  talk." 

"  How  you  relieve  me,"  I  tried  to  say  joyfully, 
but  I  found  I  could  only  whisper.  "  What  the  mis 
chief — makes  my  voice — so  weak  ?  Do  you  know 
—that  I  had  the  odd — impression — that  you  were 
an  apparition — and  had  come  to  me — as  a  token — 
that — you  were  in  trouble— and  I  tried  to  rise — to 
go  to  your  aid — then  it  seemed  yourself— that  looked 
around.  But  you  are  in  trouble— why  can't  I  get 
up  and  help  you  ?" 

She  trembled,  and  by  her  gesture  tried  to  stop 
my  words. 

"  Will  you  do  what  I  ask?"  she  said,  in  a  low, 
eager  tone. 

I  smiled  as  I  replied,  "  Little  need  of  your  asking 
that  question." 

"  Then  please  try  to  get  wrell  speedily  ;  don't 
talk,  but  just  keep  every  little  grain  of  strength. 
Oh,  I'm  so  glad  you  are  in  your  right  mind.  You 
have  been  very  ill,  but  will  soon  get  well  now  if 
only  careful.  I'll  call  Mrs.  Yocomb." 

"  Please  don't  go,"  I  whispered.  "  Now  that  I 
know  you — it  seems  so  natural — that  you  should  be 
here.  So  I've  been  ill— and  you  have  taken  care  of 


RETURNING   CONSCIOUSNESS.  217 

me  ;"  and  I  gave  a  deep  sigh  of  satisfaction.  "  I 
did  not  know  you  at  first — idiot  ! — but  Old  Plod 
whinnied — and  then  it  all  began  to  come  back." 

At  the  word  "  Old  Plod"  she  turned  hastily  tow 
ard  the  door.  Then,  as  if  mastered  by  an  impulse, 
she  returned,  and  said,  in  a  tone  that  thrilled  even 
my  feeble  pulse, 

"  Oh,  live  !  in  mercy  live,  or  else  I  can  never  for 
give  myself." 

"  I'll  live — never  fear,"  I  replied,  with  a  low 
laugh.  "  I'm  not  such  a  fool  as  to  leave  a  world 
containing  you. " 

A  rich  glow  overspread  her  face,  she  smiled,  then 
suddenly  her  face  became  very  pale,  and  she  even 
seemed  frightened  as  she  hastily  left  the  room. 

A  moment  later  Mrs.  Yocomb  came  in,  full  of 
motherly  solicitude. 

"  Kind  Mrs.  Yocomb,"  I  murmured,  "  I  am  glad 
I'm  in  such  good  hands." 

"  Thank  God,  Richard  Morton,"  she  said,  in  low, 
fervent  tones,  "  thee's  going  to  get  well.  But 
don't  speak  a  word." 

"  Wasn't  that  Zillah  crying?" 

"  Yes,  she  was  heart-broken  about  thee  being  so 
sick,  but  she'll  laugh  now  when  I  tell  her  thee's  bet 
ter.  Take  this,  and  sleep  again." 

"  Bless  her  kind  heart  !"   I  said. 

Mrs.  Yocomb  laid  her  finger  on  my  lips.      I  saw 
'her  pour  out  something,  which  I  swallowed  unques- 
tioningly,  and   after  a  moment  sank  into  a  quiet 
sleep. 


CHAPTER   IV. 

IN   THE   DARK. 

"  "X/'ES,  Mrs.  Yocomb,  good  nursing  and  nour- 
JL  ishment  are  all  that  he  now  requires,"  were 
the  reassuring  words  that  greeted  my  waking  later 
in  the  evening.  I  opened  my  eyes,  and  found  that 
a  physician  was  feeling  my  pulse. 

I  turned   feebly   toward   my  kind    hostess,    and 
smilingly  whispered, 

II  There's  no  fear  of  my  wanting  these  where  you 
are,  Mrs.  Yocomb  ;  but  don't  let  me  make  trouble. 
I  fear  I've  made  too  much  already." 

"  The  only  way  thee  can  make  trouble,  Richard, 
is  to  worry  about  making  trouble.  The  more  we 
can  do  for  thee  the  better  we  shall  be  pleased.  All 
thee's  got  to  do  is  to  get  well  and  take  thy  time 
about  it." 

"  That's  just  like  you.  How  long  have  I  been 
ill?" 

*'  That's  none  of  thy  business  at  present.  One 
thing  at  a  time.  The  doctor  has  put  thee  in  my 
hands,  and  I'm  going  to  make  thee  mind." 

"  I've  heard  that  men  were  perfect  bears  when 
getting  well,"  I  said. 

"  Thee  can  be  a  bear  if  thee  feels  like  it,  but  not 
another  word  to-night — not  another  syllable  ;  am  I 
not  right,  doctor  ?" 

"Yes,  I   prescribe  absolute  quiet  of  mind  and 


IN   THE  DARK.  219 

body  ;  that  and  good  living  will  bring  you  around 
in  time.  You've  had  a  narrow  graze  of  it,  but 
if  you  will  mind  Mrs.  Yocomb  you  will  yet  die  of 
old  age.  Good-night," 

My  nurse  gave  me  what  she  thought  I  needed, 
and  darkened  the  room.  But  it  was  not  so  dark 
but  that  I  saw  a  beautiful  face  in  the  doorway. 

"  Miss  Warren,"  I  exclaimed. 

"It  was  Adah,"  said  Mrs.  Yocomb  quietly; 
"  she's  been  very  anxious  about  thee. " 

'  You  are  all  so  kind.      Please  thank  her  for  me," 
I  replied  eagerly. 

"Mother,  may  I  speak  to  Richard  Morton?" 
asked  a  timid  voice  from  the  obscurity  of  the  hall 
way. 

"  Not  to-night,  Adah — to-morrow." 

"  Forgive  me  if  I  disobey  you  this  once,"  I  inter 
rupted  hastily.  '  Yes,  Miss  Adah,  I  want  to  thank 
you." 

She  came  instantly  to  my  side,  and  I  held  out 
my  hand  to  her.  I  wondered  wrhy  hers  throbbed 
and  trembled  so  strangely. 

"  It's  I  who  should  thank  thee  :  I  can  never  thank 
thee  enough.  Oh,  I  feared  I  might — I  might  never 
have  a  chance." 

'  There,  Adah,  thee  musfri't  say  another  word  ; 
Richard's  too  weak  yet." 

Her  hand  closed  tightly  over  mine.  "  Good-by," 
she  breathed  softly,  and  vanished. 

Mrs.  Yocomb  sat  down  with  her  knitting  by  a 
distant  and  shaded  lamp. 

Too  weak  to  think,  or  to  realize  aught  except  that 


220  A   DAY  OF  FATE. 

I  was  surrounded  by  an  atmosphere  of  kindness  and 
sympathy,  I  was  well  content  to  lie  still  and  watch, 
through  the  open  window,  the  dark  foliage  wave  to 
and  fro,  and  the  leaves  grow  distinct  in  the  light  of 
the  rising  moon,  which,  though  hidden,  I  knew 
must  be  above  the  eastern  mountains.  I  had  the 
vague  impression  that  very  much  had  happened, 
but  I  would  not  think  ;  not  for  the  world  would  I 
break  the  spell  of  deep  quietude  that  enthralled 
every  sense  of  my  body  and  every  faculty  of  my 
mind. 

"  Mrs.  Yocomb,"  I  said  at  last,  "  it  must  be  you 
who  creates  this  atmosphere  of  perfect  peace  and 
restfulness.  The  past  is  forgotten,  the  future  a 
blank,  and  I  see  only  your  serene  face.  A  subdued 
light  seems  to  come  from  it,  as  from  the  shaded 
lamp." 

'  Thee  is  weak  and  fanciful,  Richard.     The  doc 
tor  said  thee  must  be  quiet." 

"  I  wish  it  were  possible  to  obey  the  doctor  for 
ever,  and  that  this  exquisite  rest  and  oblivion  could 
last.  I  am  like  a  ship  becalm*ed  on  a  summer  sea  in 
a  summer  night.  Mind  and  body  are  both  motion 
less." 

"  Sleep,  Richard  Morton,  and  when  rested  and 
well,  may  gales  from  heaven  spring  up  and  carry  thee 
homeward.  Fear  not  even  rough  winds,  if  they 
bear  thee  toward  the  only  true  home.  Now  your 
only  duty  is  to  rest." 

'  You  are  not  going  to  sit  up  to-night,  Mrs. 
Yocomb." 

She  put  her  finger  on  her  lips. 


7.V    THE   DARK.  221 

"Hush!"  she  said. 

"  Oh,  delicious  tyranny  !"  I  murmured.  '  The 
ideal  government  is  that  of  an  absolute  and  friendly 
power." 

I  had  a  vague  consciousness  of  being  wakened 
from  time  to  time,  and  of  taking  something  from 
Mrs.  Yocomb's  hand,  and  then  sinking  back  into  an 
enthrallment  of  blessed  and  refreshing  slumber. 
With  every  respiration  life  and  health  flowed  back. 

At  last,  as  after  my  first  long  sleep  in  the  coun 
try,  I  seemed  to  hear  exquisite  strains  of  music  that 
swelled  into  richer  harmony  until  what  seemed  a 
burst  of  song  awoke  me.  Opening  my  eyes,  I 
looked  intently  through  the  open  window  and  gladly 
welcomed  the  early  day.  The  air  was  fresh,  and  I 
felt  its  exhilarating  quality.  The  drooping  branches 
of  the  elm  swayed  to  and  fro,  and  the  mountains 
beyond  were  bathed  in  light.  I  speedily  realized 
that  it  was  the  song  of  innumerable  birds  that  had 
supplied  the  music  of  my  waking  dream. 

For  a  few  moments  I  gazed  through  the  window, 
with  the  same  perfect  content  with  which  I  had 
watched  the  foliage  grow  distinct  in  the  moonlight 
the  previous  evening,  and  then  I  looked  around  the 
room. 

I  started  slightly  as  I  encountered  the  deep  blue 
eyes  of  Adah  Yocomb  fixed  on  me  with  an  intent, 
eager  wistfulness. 

"  Can  I  do  anything  for  thee,  Richard  Morton  ?" 
she  asked,  rising  from  her  chair  near  the  door. 
"  Mother  asked  me  to  stay  with  thee  a  while,  and 
to  let  her  know  if  thee  woke  and  wanted  anything." 


222  A    DAY   OF  FATE. 

'  With  you  here  this  bright  morning,  how  could 
I  want  anything  more  ?"  I  asked,  with  a  smile,  for 
her  young,  beautiful  face  comported  so  well  with 
the  early  morning  of  the  summer  day  as  to  greatly 
please  both  my  eye  and  fancy.  The  color  of  the 
early  morning  grew  richer  in  her  face  as  she  replied, 
I'm  glad  thee  doesn't  want  me  to  go  away,  but 
I  must  go  and  have  thy  breakfast  brought  up." 

"  No,  stay  ;  tell  me  all  that's  happened.  I  seem 
to  have  forgotten  everything  so  strangely  !  I  feel 
as  if  I  had  known  you  all  a  long  time,  and  yet  that 
can't  be,  for  only  the  other  day  I  was  at  my  office  in 
New  York." 

'  Mother  says  thee's  too  weak  to  talk  yet,  and 
that  I  must  not  answer  questions.  She  says  thee 
knows  thee's  been  sick  and  thee  knows  thee's  get- 

o 

ting   well,    and    that    must    do    till    thee's    much 

stronger." 

"  Oh,  I  feel  ever  so  much   stronger.      Sleep  and 

the  good   things  your  mother  has  given  me  have 

made  a  new  man  of  me." 

''Mother  says  thee  has  never  been  sick,  and  that 

thee  doesn't  know  how  to  take  care  of  thyself,  and 

that   thee'll    use   thy  strength  right  up  if  we  don't 

take  good  care  of  thee." 

"  And  are  you  going  to  take  care  of  me  ?" 
"Yes,  if  thee  pleases.  I'll  help  mother." 
"  I  should  be  hard  to  please  were  I  not  glad.  I 

shall  have  so  nice  a  time  getting  well  that  I  shall  be 

tempted  to  play  sick." 

"  I'll — I'll  wait  on  thee  as  long  as  thee'll  let  me, 

for  no  one  owes  thee  more  than  I  do." 


IN   THE   DARK.  223 

"  What  in  the  world  do  you  owe  me?"  I  asked, 
much  perplexed.  "  If  you  are  going  to  help  me 
to  get  well,  and  will  come  to  my  room  daily  with  a 
face  like  this  summer  morning,  I  shall  owe  you 
more  than  I  can  ever  repay." 

"  My  face  would  have  been  black  enough  but  for 
thee  ;  but  I'm  glad  thee  thinks  I  look  well.  They 
are  all  saying  I  look  pale  and  am  growing  thin,  but 
if  thee  doesn't  think  so  I  don't  care,"  and  she 
seemed  aglow  with  pleasure. 

"  It  would  make  a  sick  man  well  to  look  at  you," 
I  said,  smiling.  "  Please  come  and  sit  by  me  and 
help  me  to  get  my  confused  brain  straight  once 
more.  I  have  the  strangest  sense  of  not  knowing 
what  I  ought  to  know  well.  You  and  your  kind 
father  and  mother  brought  me  home  from  meeting. 
Your  mother  said  I  might  stay  here  and  rest.  Miss 
Warren  was  here — she  was  singing  in  the  parlor. 
Where  is  Miss  Warren?" 

"  She  has  gone  out  for  a  walk,"  said  the  girl  a 
little  coldly. 

Her  manner  perplexed  me,  and,  together  with 
my  thought  of  Miss  Warren,  there  came  a  vague 
sense  of  trouble — of  something  wrong.  I  tried  to 
raise  my  hand  to  my  brow,  as  if  to  clear  away  the 
mist  that  obscured  my  mind,  and  my  hand  was  like 
lead,  it  was  so  heavy. 

"  A  plague  on  my  memory  !"  I  exclaimed.  '"*  We 
were  in  the  parlor,  and  Miss  Warren  was  singing. 
Your  mother  spoke — would  that  I  might  hear  her 
again  ! — it's  all  tolerably  clear  up  to  that  time,  and 
then  everything  is  confused," 


224  A    DAY  OF  FATE. 

"Adah,  how's  this?"  said  Mrs.  Yocomb  re 
proachfully.  "  Thee  was  not  to  let  Richard  Mor 
ton  talk." 

"  I  only  am  to  blame,  Mrs.  Yocomb  :  I  would  talk. 
I'm  trying  to  get  the  past  straightened  out  ;  I  know 
that  something  happened  the  other  evening  when 
you  spoke  so  beautifully  to  us,  but  my  memory 
comes  up  to  that  point  as  to  an  abyss,  and  I  can't 
bridge  it  over." 

"  Richard  Morton,  doesn't  thee  believe  that  I'm 
thy  friend?" 

"  My  mind  would  indeed  be  a  total  blank  if  I 
doubted  that." 

"  Well,  then,  do  what  I  ask  thee  :  don't  ques 
tion,  don't  think.'  Isn't  it  sufficient  to  know  that 
thee  has  been  ill,  and  that  thy  life  depends  on 
quiet  ?  Thee  can  scarcely  lift  thy  hand  to  thy 
head  ;  thy  words  are  slow  and  feeble.  Can't  thee 
realize  that  it  is  thy  sacred  duty  to  rest  and  grow 
strong  before  taking  up  the  cares  and  burdens  that 
life  brings  to  us  all  ?  Thee  looks  weak  and  ex 
hausted." 

"  I  am  indeed  weak  enough,  but  I  felt  almost  well 
when  I  awoke." 

"  Adah,  I  fear  I  can't  trust  thee  as  a  nurse,"  her 
mother  began  gravely. 

"Please  don't  blame  her;  it  was  wholly  my 
fault,"  I  whispered.  "  I'll  be  very  good  now,  and 
do  just  what  you  bid  me." 

"  Well,  then,  thee  must  take  what  I  have  pre 
pared,  and  thy  medicine,  and  sleep  again." 

"  Good-by,  Adah,"  I  said,  smiling.   "  Don't  look 


IN    THE  DARK.  225 

so  concerned  ;  you  haven't  done  me  a  bit  of  harm. 
Your  face  was  as  bright  and  welcome  as  the  sun 
shine." 

"  If  it  hadn't  been  for  thee —  '   she  began. 

"  Mrs.  Yocomb  raised  a  warning  ringer,  and  the 
girl  stole  away. 

"  Can — can  I  not  see  Miss  Warren  this  morning  ?" 
I  asked  hesitatingly. 

"  Thee  must  sleep  first." 

The  medicine  she  gave  evidently  contained  a 
sedative,  or  else  sleep  was  the  remedy  that  Nature 
instinctively  grasped,  for  it  gave  back  part  of  the 
strength  that  I  had  lost. 

When  I  awoke  again  I  felt  wonderfully  the  bet 
ter  for  a  long  rest  that  had  not  been  broken,  but 
made  more  beneficial  from  the  fact  that  I  was 
slightly  roused  from  time  to  time  to  take  stimulants 
and  nourishment.  The  heat  and  glare  of  the  sum 
mer  day  had  passed.  This  I  could  perceive  even 
through  the  half-closed  window-blinds.  At  first  I 
thought  myself  alone,  but  soon  saw  that  Reuben 
was  seated  in  the  farthest  corner,  quietly  carving 
on  some  wood-work  that  interested  his  boyish  fancy. 
His  round,  fresh  face  was  like  a  tonic. 

"  Well,  old  fellow,"  I  laughed,  "  so  you  are  play 
ing  nurse  ?" 

"  Is  thee  awake  for  good,  Richard  Morton  ?"  he 
asked,  springing  up. 

"  I  hope  so." 

'  'Cause  mother  said  that  as  soon  as  thee  really 
waked  up  I  must  call  her." 

"  Oh,  wait  a  moment,  and  tell  me  all  the  news." 


226  A    DAY  OF  FATE. 

"  Mother  said  I  mustn't  tell  thee  anything  but  to 
get  well." 

"  I'm  never  going  to  get  well." 

"  What  !"  exclaimed  the  boy,  in  consternation. 

"  Your  mother  and  Miss  Adah  take  such  good 
care  of  me  that  I  am  going  to  play  sick  the  rest  of 
my  life,"  I  explained,  laughing.  "  How  is  Dap 
ple  ?" 

"  Oh,  thee's  only  joking,  then.  Well,  all  I  ask 
of  thee  is  to  get  well  just  enough  to  drive  Dapple 
around  with  me.  He'll  put  life  into  thee — never 
fear.  When  I  get  hold  of  the  reins  he  fairly  makes 
my  hands  tingle.  But  there,  mother  said  I 
shouldn't  let  thee  talk,  but  tell  her  right  away," 
and  he  started  for  the  door. 

"  How  is  Miss  Warren  ?  Is  she  never  coming  to 
see  me  ?" 

"  Emily  Warren's  been  dreadfully  anxious  about 
thee.  I  never  saw  any  one  change  so.  But  to-day 
she  has  been  like  a  lark.  She  went  with  me  to 
the  village  this  morning,  and  she  had  almost  as 
much  spirit  and  life  as  Dapple.  She's  a  jolly  good 
girl.  I  like  her.  We're  all  so  glad  thee's  get 
ting  well  we  don't  know  what  to  do.  Father 
said  he  felt  like  jumping  over  a  five-bar  fence. 
Only  Adah  acts  kind  of  queer  and  glum." 

"  I  think  I  hear  talking,"  said  Mrs.  Yocomb,  en 


tering. 


"  Dear  Mrs.  Yocomb,"  I  laughed,  "you  are  the 
most  amiable  and  beneficent  dragon  that  ever 
watched  over  a  captive." 

"  Thee  wants  watching.      The  moment  my  back's 


•  /Ar    THE   DARK.  227 

turned  thee's  into  mischief,  and  the  young  people 
are  just  as  bad.  Reuben,  I  might  better  have  left 
Zillah  here." 

"  Do  let  her  come,"  I  exclaimed  ;  "  she'll  do  more 
good  than  medicine." 

"  Well,  she  shall  bring  thee  up  thy  chicken-broth  ; 
that  will  please  her  wonderfully.  Go  away,  Reu 
ben,  and  tell  Zillah  to  bring  the  broth — not  another 
word.  Does  thee  feel  better,  Richard  ?" 

"  Oh,  I  am  almost  well.  I'm  ashamed  to  own 
how  hungry  I  am." 

'  That's  a  good  sign — a  very  good  sign." 

"  Mrs.  Yocomb,  how  did  I  become  so  ill?  I'm 
haunted  by  the  oddest  sense  of  not  remembering 
something  that  happened  after  you  spoke  to  us  the 
other  evening." 

There's  nothing  strange  in  people's  being  sick 
—thee  knows  that.  Then  thee  had  been  overwork 
ing  so  long  that  thee  had  to  pay  the  penalty." 

"  Yes,  I  remember  that.  Thank  Heaven  I  drifted 
into  this  quiet  harbor  before  the  storm  came.  I 
should  have  died  in  New  York." 

"  Well,  thee  knows  where  to  come  now  when 
thee's  going  to  have  another  bad  turn.  I  hope, 
however,  that  thee'll  be  too  good  a  man  to  over 
work  so  again.  Now  thee's  talked  enough." 

"  Can  I  not  see  Mr.  Yocomb,  and — and — Miss 
Warren  this  evening  ?" 

"  No,  not  till  to-morrow.  Father's  been  waiting 
till  I  said  he  could  come  ;  but  he's  so  hearty  like 
that  I  won't  trust  him  till  thee's  stronger." 

"  Is — is   Miss   Warren   so    hearty  like    also  ?      It 


228  A   DAY  OF  FATE. 

seems  to  me  her  laugh  would  put  life  into  a  mum 
my.  ' ' 

"Well,  thee  isn't  a  mummy,  so  she  can't  come 
till  to-morrow." 

She  had  been  smoothing  my  pillow  and  bathing 
my  face  with  cologne,  thus  creating  a  general  sense 
of  comfort  and  refreshment.  Now  she  lifted  my 
head  on  her  strong,  plump  arm,  and  brushed  my 
hair.  Tears  came  into  my  eyes  as  I  said  brokenly, 

"  I  can  remember  my  mother  doing  this  for  me 
when  I  was  ill  once  and  a  little  fellow.  I've  taken 
care  of  myself  ever  since.  You  can  have  no  idea 
how  grateful  your  manner  is  to  one  who  has  no  one 
to  care  for  him  specially." 

"  Thee'll  always  have  some  one  to  care  for  thee 
now  ;  but  thee  mustn't  say  anything  more  ;"  and  I 
saw  strong  sympathy  in  her  moist  eyes. 

"  Yes,"  I  breathed  softly,  "  I  should  have  died  in 
New  York." 

"  And  thee  said  an  imp  from  the  printing-house 
could  take  care  of  thee,  "she  replied,  with  a  low  laugh. 

"  Did  I  say  that  ?  I  must  have  been  out  of  my 
head." 

"  Thee'll  see  that  all  was  ordered  for  the  best, 
and  be  content  when  thee  gets  strong.  People  are 
often  better  every  way  after  a  good  fit  of  sickness. 
•  I  believe  the  Good  Physician  will  give  his  healing 
touch  to  thy  soul  as  well  as  thy  body.  Ah,  here 
is  Zillah.  Come  in,  little  girl.  Richard  wishes  to 
see  thee." 

Bearing  a  bowl  in  both  hands,  she  entered  hesita 
tingly. 


IN   THE  DARK.  229 

"  Why,  Zillah,  you  waiting  on  me  too  !  It's  all 
like  a  fairy  tale,  and  I'm  transformed  into  a  great 
prince,  and  am  waited  on  right  royally.  I'm  going 
to  drink  that  broth  to  your  health,  as  if  you  were  a 
great  lady.  It  will  do  me  more  good  than  all  the 
drugs  of  all  the  doctors,  just  because  you  are  such  a 
good  little  fairy,  and  have  bewitched  it." 

The  child  dimpled  all  over  with  pleasure  as  she 
came  and  stood  by  my  side. 

"  Oh,  I'm  so  glad  thee's  getting  well  !"  she  cried. 
'  Thee  talks  queer,  but  not  so  queer  as  thee  did  be 
fore.  Thee— 

A  warning  gesture  from  her  mother  checked  her, 
and  she  looked  a  little  frightened. 

"  That  will  do,  Zillah.  After  Richard  has  taken 
this  I'm  not  going  to  let  him  talk  for  a  long 
time." 

"  Do  you  want  to  make  me  all  well,  Zillah  ?"  I 
asked,  smiling  into  her  troubled  and  sympathetic 
face. 

She  nodded  eagerly  and  most  emphatically. 

"  Then  climb  on  a  chair  and  give  me  a  kiss." 

After  a  quick,  questioning  look  at  her  mother, 
she  complied,  laughing. 

"  Ah,  that  puts  life  into  me,"  I  said.  "  You  can 
tell  them  all  that  you  did  me  more  good  than  the 
doctor.  I'll  go  with  you  to  see  the  robins  soon." 

"  I've  got  something  else  for  thee  down-stairs," 
she  whispered,  "  something  that  Emily  Warren 
gathered  for  thee,"  and  she  was  gone  in  a  flash. 

A  moment  later  she  stood  in  the  doorway,  an 
nounced  in  advance  by  the  perfume  of  an  exquisite 


2 3°  A  DAY  OF  FATE. 

cluster  of  rose-buds  arranged   in  a  dainty  vase   en 
twined  and  half  hidden  with  myrtle. 

"  Put  the  vase  on  the  table  by  Richard,  and  then 
thee  mustn't  come  any  more. " 

"  These  surely  are  from  the  Garden  of  Eden,"  I 
exclaimed.  "  These  and  your  kiss,  Zillah,  will 
make  me  well.  Tell  Miss  Warren  that  I  am  going 
to  thank  her  myself.  Good-by  now,"  and  she 
flitted  out  of  the  room,  bright  with  the  unalloyed 
happiness  of  a  child. 

"  Dear  me,"  said  Mrs.  Yocomb,  "  thee  must  in 
deed  get  strong  fast,  for  I  do  have  such  a  time 
keeping  the  young  people  out  of  thy  room.  Reu 
ben  asks  a  dozen  times  a  day  if  he  can  see  thee,  and 
father's  nearly  as  bad.  No  more  shall  see  thee  to 
day,  I  promise  thee.  Now  thee  must  rest  till  to 
morrow." 

I  was  well  content,  for  the  roses  brought  a  pres 
ence  very  near.  In  their  fragrance,  their  beauty, 
their  dewy  freshness,  their  superiority  to  other  flow 
ers,  they  seemed  the  emblem  of  the  maiden  who 
had  made  harmony  in  the  garden  when  Nature  was 
at  her  best.  The  scene,  as  we  had  stood  there  to 
gether,  grew  so  vivid  that  I  saw  her  again  almost  in 
reality,  her  face  glowing  with- the  undisguised,  irre 
pressible  pleasure  that  had  been  caused  by  my  ur 
expected  tribute  to  the  absolute  truthfulness  of  he. 
character.  Again  I  heard  her  piquant  laugh  ;  then 
her  sweet,  vibratory  voice  as  she  sang  hymns  that 
awakened  other  than  religious  emotions,  I  fear. 
By  an  odd  freak  of  fancy  the  flowers  seemed  an 
embodied  strain  from  Chopin's  nocturne  that  she 


IN   THE   DARK.  231 

/.ad  played,  and  the  different  shades  of  color  the 
rising  and  falling  of  the  melody. 

"  What  do  they  mean  ?"  I  murmured  to  myself. 
(<  At  any  rate  I  see  no  York  and  Lancaster  buds 
^mong  them." 

"  Is  thee  so  very  fond  of  roses  that  thee  gazes  so 
(ong  and  intently  at  them  ?"  Airs.  Yocomb  quietly 
asked. 

I  started,  and  I  had  still  sufficient  blood  to  crim 
son  my  pallid  face. 

Turning  away  I  said,  "  They  recalled  a  scene  in 
the  garden  where  they  grew.  It  seemed  to  me  that 
Miss  Warren  had  grown  there  too,  she  was  so  like 
them  ;  and  that  this  impression  should  have  been 
made  by  a  lady  bred  in  the  city  struck  me  as  rather 
strange." 

"Thy  impression  was  correct — she's  genuine," 
Mrs.  Yocomb  replied  gravely,  and  her  eyes  rested 
on  me  in  a  questioning  and  sympathetic  way  that 
\  understood  better  as  I  thought  it  over  afterward. 

"  Yes,"  I  said,  "  she  made  just  that  impression  on 
me  from  the  first.  We  met  as  strangers,  and  in  a 
few  hours,  without  the  slightest  effort  on  her  part, 
she  won  my  absolute  trust.  This  at  first  greatly 
surprised  me,  for  I  regret  to  say  that  my  calling  has 
^made  me  distrustful.  I  soon  learned,  however, 
that  this  was  just  the  impression  that  she  should 
make  on  any  one  capable  of  understanding  her." 

A  deep  sigh  was  my  companion's  only  answer. 

"  Mrs.  Yocomb,"  I  continued  earnestly,  "was  I 
taken  ill  while  you  were  speaking  ?  I  have  a  vague, 
tormenting  impression  that  something  occurred 


232  A  DAY  OF  FATE. 

which  I  cannot  recall.  The  last  that  I  can  remem 
ber  was  your  speaking  to  us  ;  and  then — and  then 
—wasn't  there  a  storm  ?" 

"  There  may  have  been.  We've  had  several 
showers  of  late.  Thee  had  been  overdoing,  Rich 
ard,  and  thee  felt  the  effects  of  the  fever  in  thy  sys 
tem  before  thee  or  any  of  us  knew  what  was  the 
matter.  Thy  mind  soon  wandered  ;  but  thee  was 
never  violent  ;  thee  made  us  no  trouble — only  our 
anxiety.  Now  I  hope  I've  satisfied  thee." 

"  How  wondrously  kind  you've  all  been  to  such  a 
stranger  !  But  Miss  Adah  made  reference  to  some 
thing  that  I  can't  understand." 

Mrs.  Yocomb  looked  perplexed  and  annoyed. 
"  I'll  ask  Adah,"  she  said  gravely.  "  It's  time  thee 
took  this  medicine  and  slept." 

The  draught  she  gave  me  was  more  quieting  than 
her  words  had  been,  for  I  remembered  nothing 
more  distinctly  until  I  awoke  in  the  brightness  of 
another  day. 


CHAPTER    V. 

A   FLASH    OF    MEMORY. 

I  FOUND  my  spirits  attuned  to  the  clear  sun 
shine  of  the  new  day,  and  congratulated  my 
self  that  convalescence  promised  to  be  so  speedy. 
Again  I  had  the  sense  that  it  was  my  body  only 
that  was  weak  and  exhausted  by  disease,  for  my 
mind  seemed  singularly  elastic,  and  I  felt  as  if  the 
weight  of  years  and  toil  had  dropped  away,  and  I 
was  entering  on  a  new  and  higher  plane  of  exist 
ence.  An  unwonted  hopefulness,  too,  gave  buoyan 
cy  to  my  waking  thoughts. 

My  first  conscious  act  was  to  look  for  my  flow 
ers.  They  had  been  removed  to  a  distant  table, 
and  in  their  place  was  a  larger  bouquet,  that,  for 
some  reason,  suggested  Adah.  "  It's  very  pretty, " 
I  thought,  "  but  it  lacks  the  dainty,  refined 
quality  of  the  other.  There's  too  much  of  it. 
One  is  a  bouquet  ;  the  other  suggests  the  bushes 
on  which  the  buds  grew,  and  their  garden  home." 

From  the  sounds  I  heard,  I  knew  the  family  was 
at  breakfast,  and  before  very  long  a  musical  laugh 
that  thrilled  every  nerve  with  delight  rang  up  the 
stairway,  and  I  laughed  in  sympathy  without  know 
ing  why. 

"  Happy  will  the  home  be  in  which  that  laugh 
makes  music,"  I  murmured.  "  Heaven  grant  it  may 
be  mine.  Can  it  be  presumption  to  hope  this,  when 


«34  A    DA  Y  OF  FA  TE. 

she  showed  so  much  solicitude  at  my  illness  ?  She 
was  crying  when  my  recovery  was  doubtful,  and 
she  entreated  me  to  live.  Reuben's  words  suggest 
ed  that  she  was  depressed  while  I  was  in  danger, 
and  buoyant  after  the  crisis  had  passed.  That  she 
feels  as  I  do  I  cannot  yet  hope.  But  what  the  mis 
chief  does  she  and  Adah  mean  by  saying  that  they 
owe  me  so  much  ?  It's  I  who  owe  them  everything 
for  their  care  during  my  illness,  /low  long  have  I 
been  ill  ?  There  seems  to  be  something  that  I 
can't  recall  ;  and  now  I  think  of  it,  Mrs.  Yocomb's 
account  last  night  was  very  indefinite." 

My  further  musings  were  interrupted  by  the  en 
trance  of  Mrs.  Yocomb  with  a  steaming  bowl  that 
smelt  very  savory. 

"Mrs.  Yocomb,"  I  cried,  "you're  always  wel 
come  ;  and  that  bowl  is,  too,  for  I'm  hungry  as  a 
cub." 

"Glad  to  hear  it,"  said  Mr.  Yocomb's  hearty 
voice  from  the  doorway.  "  I'll  kill  for  you  a  young 
gobbler  that  Emily  Warren  thinks  is  like  the  apple 
of  my  eye,  if  you  will  promise  to  eat  him." 

"  No,  indeed,"  I  answered,  reaching  out  my 
hand.  "  He  is  already  devoted  to  Miss  Warren's 
Thanksgiving  dinner.  May  he  continue  to  gobble 
until  that  auspicious  day." 

"What!  do  you  remember  that?"  and  Mr. 
Yocomb  cast  a  quick  look  of  surprise  at  his  wife. 

"  Yes,  I   remember  everything  up    to    a  certain 
point,  and  then  all  comes  to  a  full  stop.     I  wish 
you  would  bridge  over  the  gap  for  me." 
."Richard,"    interposed  Mrs.   Yocomb    quickly, 


A    FLASH    OF  MEMORY.  235 

"  it  wouldn't  do  thee  any  good  to  have  father  tell 
thee  what  thee  said  when  out  of  thy  mind  from 
fever.  I  can  tell  thee,  however,  that  thee  said 
nothing  of  which  thee  need  be  ashamed." 

"  Well,  I  can't  account  for  it.  I  must  have  been 
taken  very  suddenly.  One  thing  is  clear  :  you  ai* 
the  kindest  people  I  ever  heard  of.  You  ought  to 
be  put  in  a  museum." 

"  Why,  Friend  Morton,  is  it  queer  that  we  didn't 
turn  thee  out  of  doors  or  give  thee  in  charge  of  the 
poormaster  ?" 

"  I  certainly  am  the  most  fortunate  man  in  the 
world,"  I  said,  laughing.  "  I  had  broken  myself 
down  and  was  about  to  become  very  ill,  and  I  start 
ed  off  in  the  dark  and  never  stopped  till  I  reached 
the  shelter  of  Mrs.  Yocomb's  wing.  If  I  should  tell 
my  experience  in  New  York  there'd  be  an  exodus 
to  the  country  among  newspaper  men." 

"  Thee  mustn't  do  it,"  protested  Mr.  Yocomb, 
assuming  a  look  of  dismay.  "  Thee  knows  I'm 
down  on  editors  :  I  make  ,thee  an  exception." 

"  I  should  think  you  had  ;  but  they  would  not 
expect  to  be  treated  one  hundredth  part  so  well  as 
you  have  treated  me." 

"  Well,  bring  thy  friends,  editors  or  otherwise. 
Thy  friends  will  be  welcome." 

"  I  fear  I'll  be  selfish  ;  I  feel  as  if  I  had  made  too 
rich  a  discovery  to  show  it  to  others." 

"  Now,  father,  thee's  had  thy  turn,  and  must  go 
right  out  and  let  Richard  take  his  breakfast  and  his 
medicine.  I'm  bent  on  making  Dr.  Bates  say  I'm 
the  best  nurse  in  town,  and  between  such  a  lively 


236  A    DAY   OF  FA  TE. 

patient  and  such  a  lively  family  I  have  a  hard  time 
of  it." 

"  Well,  thee  knows  I  always  mind,  mother,"  said 
the  old  gentleman,  putting  on  a  rueful  look.  "  I 
do  it,  thee  knows,  to  set  the  children  an  example. 
Good-by  now  ;  mother  will  make  thee  as  hearty  as 
I  am  if  thee'll  mind  her." 

"  Oh,  I'm  well  enough  to  see  everybody  to-day," 
I  said  with  emphasis,  and  I  imagined  that  Mrs.  Yo- 
comb  gave  as  definite  a  meaning  to  my  indefinite 
term  as  I  did. 

"  No  one  can  stay  long  yet  ;  but  if  thee  continues 
to  improve  so  nicely,  we  can  move  thee  down-stairs 
part  of  the  day  before  very  long." 

"At  that  prospect  I'll  mind  as  well  as  Mr.  Yo- 
comb  himself,"  1  cried  gladly.  "  Mr.  Yocomb,  they 
are  spoiling  me.  1  feel  like  a  great  petted  boy, 
and  behave  like  one,  I  fear  ;  but  having  never  been 
ill,  I  don't  know  how  to  behave." 

"  Thee's  doing  very  well  for  a  beginner.  Keep 
on — keep  on,"  and  his  genial  visage  vanished  from 
the  doorway.  * 

After  I  had  my  breakfast,  Zillah  flitted  in  and 
out  with  her  mother  two  or  three  times. 

"  Mother  says  1  can  look  at  thee,  but  I  mustn't 
talk  ;"  and  she  wouldn't. 

Then  Adah,  with  her  wide-brimmed  hat  hanging 
on  her  arm,  brought  me  a  dainty  little  basket  of 
wild  strawberries. 

"  I  promised  to  gather  them  for  thee,"  she  said, 
placing  them  on  my  table. 

"You   did?     I   had   forgotten    that,"   I  replied. 


A   FLASH   OF  MEMORY.  237 

"  I  fear  my  mempry  is  playing  me  sad  tricks.  You 
have  just  gathered  them,  I  think  ?" 

"  What  makes  thee  think  so  ?" 

"  Because  their  color  has  got  into  your  cheeks." 

"  I  hope  thee'll  like  them — the  strawberries,  I 
mean." 

I  laughed  heartily  as  I  answered,  "  I  like  both. 
I  don't  see  how  either  could  be  improved  upon." 

"  I  think  thee  likes  a  city  pallor  best,"  she  re 
plied,  shaking  her  head. 

I  imagine  that  a  faint  tinge  of  the  strawberry 
came  into  my  face,  for  she  gave  me  a  quick  glance 
and  turned  away. 

"  Adah,"  said  Mrs.  Yocomb,  entering,  "  thee  can 
take  thy  sewing  and  sit  here  by  the  door  for  awhile. 
Call  me  if  Richard  wants  anything.  The  doctor 
will  be  here  soon." 

"  Would  thee  like  to  have  me  stay  ?"  she  asked 
timidly. 

"  Indeed  I  would.  Mrs.  Yocomb,  can  I  eat  these 
strawberries?  I've  devoured  them  with  my  eyes 
already." 

"  Yes,  if  the  doctor  says  so,  and  thee'll  promise 
not  to  talk  much." 

I  made  no  promise,  for  I  was  bent  on  talking,  as 
convalescents  usually  are,  I  believe,  and  Adah  for 
got  her  sewing,  and  her  blue  .eyes  rested  on  me 
with  an  intentness  that  at  last  grew  a  little  embar 
rassing.  She  said  comparatively  little,  and  her 
words  had  much  of  their  old  directness  and  simplic 
ity  ;  but  the  former  flippancy  and  coloring  of  small 
vanity  was  absent.  Her  simple  morning  costume 


23S  A   DAY  OF  FATE, 

was  scrupulously  neat,  and  quite  as  becoming  as  tin 
Sunday  muslin  which  I  had  so  admired,  and  she  had 
fastened  at  her  breastpin  a  rose  that  reminded  me 
of  the  one  I  had  given  her  on  that  wretched  Sunday 
afternoon  when  she  unconsciously  and  speedily  dis, 
pelled  the  bright  dream  that  I  had  woven  around, 
her. 

"  For  some  reason  she  has  changed  very  much/ 
I  thought,  "  and  I'm  glad  it's  for  the  better." 

Zillah  came  in,  and  leaned  on  her  lap  as  she  asked 
her  a  question  or  two.  "  Surely  the  little  girl 
would  not  have  done  that  the  first  day  I  met  her," 
I  mused,  then  added  aloud, 

''You  are  greatly  changed,  Miss  Adah.  What 
has  happened  to  you  ?" 

She  blushed  vividly  at  my  abrupt  question,  and 
did  not  answer  for  a  moment.  Then  she  began 
hesitatingly, 

"  From  what  mother  says,  it's  time  I  changed  a 
little." 

"  I  think  Zillah  likes  you  now  as  she  does  Miss 
Warren." 

"  No,  she  likes  Emily  Warren  best — so  does 
every  one." 

"You    are   mistaken.       Zillah    could    not    have 
looked   at  Miss  Warren  differently  from  the  way  in 
which  she  just  looked  at  you.     You  have  no  idea 
what  a  pretty  picture  you  two  then  made." 
"  I  did  not  think  about  it." 

"  I  imagine  you  don't  think  about  yourself  as 
much  as  you  did.  Perhaps  that's  the  change  I'm 
conscious  of." 


A   FLASH  OF  MEMORY.'  239 

"I  don't  think  about  myself  at  all  any  more," 
and  she  bent  low  over  her  work. 

Dr.  Bates  now  entered  with  Mrs.  Yocomb,  and 
Adah  slipped  quietly  away. 

After  strong  professions  of  satisfaction  at  my 
rapid  convalescence,  and  giving  a  medicine  that 
speedily  produced  drowsiness,  he  too  departed. 

I  roused  up  slightly  from  time  to  time  as  the  day 
declined,  and  finding  Reuben  quietly  busy  at  his 
carving,  dozed  again  in  a  delicious,  dreamy  restful- 
ness.  In  one  of  these  half-waking  moments  I  heard 
a  low  voice  ask, 

"  Reuben,  may  I  come  in  ?" 

Sleep  departed  instantly,  and  I  felt  that  I 
must  be  stone  dead  before  I  could  be  unmoved 
by  those  tones,  now  as  familiar  as  if  heard  all  my 
life. 

"Yes,  please  come,"  I  exclaimed  ;  "and  you 
have  been  long  in  coming." 

Reuben  sprang  up  with  alacrity  as  he  said,  "I'm 
glad  thee's  come,  Emily.  Would  thee  mind  stay 
ing  with  Richard  for  a  little  while  ?  I  want  to  take 
Dapple  out  before  night.  If  I  don't,  he  gets  frac 
tious." 

"  I  will  take  your  place  for  a  time,  and  will  call 
Mrs.  Yocomb  if  Mr.  Morton  needs  anything." 

"  I  assure  you  I  won't  need  anything  as  long  as 
you'll  stay,"  I  began,  as  soon  as  we  were  alone. 
"  I  want  to  thank  you  for  the  rose-buds.  They 
were  taken  away  this  morning  ;  but  I  had  them 
brought  back  and  placed  here  where  I  could  touch 
them.  They  seemed  to  bring  back  that  June  even- 


24°  •      A   DAY  OF  FA  TE> 

ing  in  the  old   garden  so  vividly  that   I've  lived  the 
scene  over  and  over  again." 

She  looked  perplexed,  and  colored  slightly,  but 
said  smilingly,  "  Mrs.  Yocomb  will  think  I'm  a  poor 
nurse  if  I  let  you  talk  too  much." 

"  Then  talk  to  me.  I  promise  to  listen  as  long 
as  you  will  talk. ' ' 

"  Well,  mention  an  agreeable  subject." 

"Yourself.  What  have  you  been  doing  in  the 
ages  that  have  elapsed  since  I  came  to  life.  It 
seems  as  if  I  had  been  dead,  and  I  can't  recall  a 
thing  that  happened  in  that  nether  world.  I  only 
hope  I  didn't  make  a  fool  of  myself." 

"I'm  sorry  to  say  you  were  too  ill  to  do  anything 
very  bad.  Mr,  Morton,  you  can't  realize  how  glad 
we  all  are  that  you  are  getting  well  so  fast." 

"  I  hope  I  can't  realize  how  glad  you  are,  and  yet 
I  would  like  to  think  that  you  are  very  glad.  Do 
you  know  what  has  done  me  the  most  good  to 
day  ?" 

""  How  should  I  know  ?"  she  asked,  looking  away, 
with  something  like  trouble  in  her  face. 

"  I  heard  your  laugh  this  morning  while  you  were 
at  breakfast,  and  it  filled  all  the  old  house  with 
music.  It  seemed  to  become  a  part  of  the  sun 
shine  t>at  was  shimmering  on  the  elm-leaves  that 
swayed  tc  and  fro  before  my  window,  and  then  the 
robins  took  it  up  in  the  garden.  By  the  way, 
have  you  seen  the  robin's  nest  that  Zillah  showed 
us?" 

"Yes,"  she  replied,  "but  it's  empty,  and  the 
queer  little  things  that  Zillah  said  were  all  '  mouth 


A    FLASH  OF  MEMORY.  241 

and  swallow  '  are  now  pert  young  robins,  rollicking 
around  the  garden  all  day  long.  They  remind  me 
of  Reuben  and  Dapple.  I  love  such  fresh  young 
life,  unshadowed  by  care  or  experience." 

"  I  believe  you  ;  and  your  sympathy  with  such 
life  will  always  keep  you  young  at  heart.  I  can't 
imagine  you  growing  old  ;  indeed,  truth  is  never 
old  and  feeble." 

"You  are  very  fanciful,  Mr.  Morton,"  she  said, 
with  a  trace  of  perplexity  again  on  her  face. 

"  I  have  heard  that  that  was  a  characteristic  of 
sick  people,"  I  laughed. 

"Yes;  we  have  to  humor  them  like  children," 
she  added,  smoothing  her  brow  as  if  this  was  an  ex 
cuse  for  letting  me  express  more  admiration  than 
she  relished. 

"Well,"  I  admitted,  "I've  never  been  ill  and 
made  much  of  before,  since  I  was  a  little  fellow,  and 
my  mother  spoiled  me,  and  I've  no  idea  how  to  be 
have.  Even  if  I  did,  it  would  seem  impossible  to 
be  conventional  in  this  house.  Am  I  not  the  most 
singularly  fortunate  man  that  ever  existed?  rLike 
a  fool  I  had  broken  myself  down,  and  was  destined 
to  be  ill.  I  started  off  as  aimlessly  as  an  arrow  shot 
into  the  air,  and  here  I  am,  enjoying  your  society 
and  Mrs.  Yocomb's  care." 

"  It  is  indeed  strange,"  she  replied  musingly,  as 
if  half  speaking  to  herself  ;  "so  strange  that  I  can 
not  understand  it.  Life  is  a  queer  tangle  at  best. 
That  is,  it  seems  so  to  us  sometimes." 

"  I  assure  you  I  am  glad  to  have  it  tangled  for  me 
in  this  style,"  I  said  laughing.  "  My  only  dread 


242  A    DAY   OF  FA  TE 

is  getting  out   of  the  snarl.      Indeed,  I'm   sorely 
tempted  to  play  sick  indefinitely." 

"  In  that  case  we  shall  all  leave  you  here  to  your 
self." 

"  I  think  you  have  done  that  already." 

"  What  would  your  paper  do  without  you  ?"  she 
asked,  with  her  brow  slightly  knitted  and  the  color 
deepening  in  her  cheeks. 

"  Recalling  what  you  said,  I'm  tempted  to  think 
it  is  doing  better  without  me." 

"You  imagine  I  said  a  great  deal  more  than  I 
did." 

"  No,  I  remember  everything  that  happened  until 
I  was  taken  ill.  It's  strange  I  was  taken  so  sud 
denly.  I  can  see  you  playing  Chopin's  nocturne 
as  distinctly  as  I  see  you  now.  Do  you  know  that  I 
had  the  fancy  that  the  cluster  of  roses  you  sent  me 
was  that  nocturne  embodied,  and  that  the  shades 
of  color  were  the  variations  in  the  melody?" 

"  You  are  indeed  very  fanciful.  I  hope  you  will 
grow  more  rational  as  you  get  well." 

"  I  remember  you  thought  me  slightly  insane  in 
the  garden." 

"Yes;  and  you  promised  that  you  would  see 
things  just  as  they  are  after  leaving  it." 

"  I  can't  help  seeing  things  just  as  they  seem  to 
me.  Perhaps  I  do  see  them  just  as  they  are." 

"  Oh,  no  !  To  a  matter-of-fact  person  like  my 
self,  you  are  clearly  very  fanciful.  If  you  don't 
improve  in  this  respect,  you'll  have  to  take  a  course 
in  mathematics  before  returning  to  your  work  or 
you  will  mislead  your  readers." 


A   FLASH  OF  MEMORY.  243 

"  No,  I'm  going  to  take  a  course  of  weeding  in 
the  garden,  and  you  were  to  invite  me  into  the 
arbor  as  soon  as  I  had  done  enough  to  earn  my  salt." 
I  fear  you  will  pull  up  the  vegetables." 

"  You  can  at  least  show  me  which  are  the  pota 
toes. " 

In  spite  of  a  restraint  that  she  tried  to  disguise, 
she  broke  out  into  a  low  laugh  at  this  reminiscence, 
and  said,  "  After  that  revelation  of  ignorance  you 
will  never  trust  me  again." 

"  I  will  trust  you  in  regard  to  everything  except 
kitchen  vegetables,"  I  replied,  more  in  earnest  than 
in  jest. 

"  A  most  important  exception,"  she  responded, 
her  old  troubled  look  coming  back.  "  But  you  are 
talking  far  too  much.  Your  face  is  slightly  flushed. 
I  fear  you  are  growing  feverish.  I  will  call  Mrs. 
Yocomb  now." 

"  Please  do  not.  I  never  felt  better  in  my  life. 
You  are  doing  me  good  every  moment,  and  it's 
so  desperately  stupid  lying  helplessly  here." 

"  Well,  I  suppose  I  must  humor  you  a  few  mo 
ments  longer,"  she  laughed.  "  People,  when  ill, 
are  so  arbitrary.  By  the  way,  your  editorial  friends 
must  think  a  great  deal  of  you,  or  else  you  are  valua 
ble  to  them,  for  your  chief  writes  to  Mr.  Yocomb 
every  day  about  you  ;  so  do  some  others  ;  and 
they've  sent  enough  fruit  and  delicacies  to  be  the 
death  of  an  ostrich." 

"  I'm  glad  to  hear  that  ;  it  rather  increases  one's 
faith  in  human  nature.  I  didn't  know  whether 
they  or  any  one  would  care  much  if  I  died." 


244  A   DA  Y  OF  FA  TE. 

"  Mr.  Morton  !"  she  said  reproachfully. 

"  Oh,  I  remember  my  promise  to  you.  If,  like  a 
cat,  I  had  lost  my  ninth  life,  I  would  live  after  your 
words.  Indeed  I  imagine  that  you  were  the  only 
reason  I  did  live.  It  was  your  will  that  saved  me, 
for  I  hadn't  enough  sense  or  spirit  left  to  do  more 
than  flicker  out." 

"Do  you  think  so?"  she  asked  eagerly,  and  a 
rich  glow  of  pleasure  overspread  her  face. 

"  I  do  indeed.  You  have  had  a  subtle  power  over 
me  from  the  first,  which  I  cannot  resist,  and  don't 
wish  to." 

"  I  must  go  now,"  she  said  hastily. 

"  Please  wait,"  I  entreated.  "  I've  a  message  for 
Mrs.  Yocomb." 

She  stood  irresolutely  near  the  door. 

"  I  wish  you  to  tell  her — why  is  it  getting  dark 
so  suddenly  ?" 

"  I  fear  we're  going  to  have  a  shower,"  and  she 
glanced  apprehensively  toward  the  window. 

"  When  have  I  seen  that  look  on  your  face  be 
fore  ?"  I  asked  quickly. 

"  You  had  a  message  for  Mrs.  Yocomb  ?" 

"  Yes.  I  wish  you  would  make  her  realize  a  lit 
tle  of  my  unbounded  gratitude,  which  every  day  in 
creases.  In  fact,  I  can't  understand  the  kindness  of 
this  family,  it  is  so  hearty,  so  genuine.  Why,  1 
was  an  entire  stranger  the  other  day.  Then  Adah 
and — pardon  me — you  also  used  expressions  which 
puzzle  me  very  much.  I  can't  understand  how  I 
became  ill  so  suddenly.  I  was  feeling  superbly  that 
Sunday  evening,  and  then  everything  became 


A    FLASH   OF  MEMORY.  245 

blank.  Mrs.  Yocomb,  from  a  fear  of  disquieting 
me,  won't  say  much  about  it.  The  impression  that 
a  storm  or  something  occurred  that  I  can't  recall, 
haunts  me.  You  are  one  that  couldn't  deceive  if 
you  tried." 

"  You  needn't  think  I've  anything  to  tell  when 
Mrs.  Yocomb  hasn't,"  she  answered,  with  a  gay 
laugh. 

Miss  Warren,"  I  said  gravely,  "  that  laugh  isn't 
natural.  I  never  heard  you  laugh  so  before. 
Something  did  happen." 

A  flash  of  lightning  gleamed  across  the  window, 
and  the  maiden  gave  an  involuntary  and  apprehen 
sive  start. 

Almost  as  instantaneously  the  events  I  had  for 
gotten  passed  through  my  mind.  In  strong  and 
momentary  excitement  I  rose  on  my  elbow,  and 
looked  for  their  confirmation  in  her  troubled  face. 

"  Oh,  forget — forget  it  all  !"  she  exclaimed,  in  a 
low,  distressed  voice,  and  she  came  and  stood  be 
fore  me  with  clasped  hands. 

"  Would  to  God  I  had  died  !"  I  said  despairing 
ly,  and  I  sank  back  faint  and  crushed.  "  I  had  no 
right  to  speak — to  think  of  you  as  I  did.  Good- 

by." 

"  Mr.  Morton— 

"  Please  leave  me  now.  I'm  too  weak  to  be  a 
man,  and  I  would  not  lose  your  esteem.'* 

"  But  you  will  get  well — you   promised  me  that." 

"Well!"  I  said,  in  a  low,  bitter  tone.  "When 
can  I  ever  be  well?  Good-by." 

"  Mr.   Morton,  would  you  blight  my 


246  A  DA  Y   OF  FA  TE. 

asked,   almost  indignantly.      "  Am   I  to  blame  for 
this?" 

"  Nor  am  I  to  blame.  It  was  inevitable.  Curse.; 
on  a  world  in  which  one  can  err  so  fatally." 

"Can  you  not  be  a  brave,  generous  man?  If 
this  should  go  against  you — if  you  will  not  get  well 
— you  promised  me  to  live." 

I  will  exist  ;  but  can  one  whose  heart  is  stone, 
and  hope  dead,  live  ?  I'll  do  my  best.  No,  you 
are  not  to  blame — not  in  the  least.  Take  the  whole 
comfort  of  that  truth.  Nor  was  I  either.  That 
Sunday  was  the  day  of  my  fate,  since  for  me  to  see 
you  was  to  love  you  by  every  instinct  and  law  of 
my  being.  But  I  trust,  as  you  said,  you  will  find 
me  too  honorable  to  seek  that  which  belongs  to 
another." 

"  Mr.  Morton,"  she  said,  in  tones  of  deep  dis 
tress,  "  you  saved  this  home  ;  you  saved  Mrs.  Yo- 
comb's  life  ;  you — you  saved  mine.  Will  you  em 
bitter  it?" 

"  Would  to  God  I  had  died  !"  I  groaned.  "  All 
would  then  have  been  well.  I  had  fulfilled  my  mis 
sion." 

She  wrung  her  hands  as  she  stood  beside  me. 
"  I  can't — oh,  I  can't  endure  this  !"  she  murmured, 
and  there  was  anguish  in  her  voice. 

I  rallied  sufficiently  to  take  her  hand  as  I  said, 

"  Emily  Warren,  I  understand  your  crystal  truth 
too  well  not  to  know  that  there  is  no  hope  for  me. 
I'll  bear  my  hard  fate  as  well  as  I  can  ;  but  you 
must  not  expect  too  much.  And  remember  this  :  I 
shall  be  like  a  planet  hereafter.  The  little  happi- 


A    FLASH    OF  MEMORY.  247 

ness  I  have  will  be  but  a  pale  reflection  of  yours. 
If  you  are  unhappy,  I  shall  be  so  inevitably.  Not 
a  shadow  of  blame  rests  on  you — the  first  fair 
woman  was  not  truer  than  you — I'll  do  my  best — 
I'll  get  up  again — soon,  I  trust,  now.  If  you  ever 
need  a  friend — but  you  would  not  so  wrong  me  as 
to  go  to  another — I  won't  be  weak  and  lackadaisi 
cal.  Don't  make  any  change  ;  let  this  episode  in 
your  life  be  between  ourselves  only.  Good-by. " 

"  Oh,  you  look  so  ill — so  changed — what  can  I 
say—?" 

Helpless  tears  rushed  into  her  eyes.  "  You  saved 
my  life,"  she  breathed  softly  ;  but  as  she  turned 
hastily  to  depart  she  met  our  hostess. 

"  Oh, Mrs.  Yocomb, ' '  she  sobbed,  "  he  knows  all. 

;<  Thee  surely  could  not  have  told  him — 

"  Indeed  I  did  not — it  came  to  him  like  a  flash." 

"  Mrs.  Yocomb,  by  all  that's  sacred,  Miss  Warren 
is  not  to  blame  for  anything — only  myself.  Please 
keep  my  secret ;  it  shall  not  trouble  any  one  ;"  and 
I  turned  my  face  to  the  wall. 

"  Richard  Morton." 

"  Dear  Mrs.  Yocomb,  give  me  time.  I'm  too 
sorely  wounded  to  speak  to  any  one." 

"  A  man  should  try  to  do  what  is  right  under  all 
circumstances,"  she  said  firmly,  "and  it  is  your 
first  and  sacred  duty  to  get  well.  It  is  time  for 
your  medicine." 

I  turned  and  said  desperately,  "  Give  me  stimulants 
— give  me  anything  that  will  make  me  strong,  so 
that  I  may  keep  my  word  ;  for  if  ever  a  man  was 
mortally  weak  in  body  and  soul,  I  am." 


248  A  DA  V   OF  FA  TE. 

"  I'll  do  my  best  for  thee,"  she  said  gently,  "  for 
I  feel  for  thee  and  with  thee,  as  if  thee  were  my 
own  son.  But  I  wish  thee  to  remember  now  and 
always  that  the  only  true  strength  comes  from 
Heaven." 


CHAPTER   VI. 

WEAKNESS. 

SOUL  and  body  are  too  nearly  related  for  one 
to  suffer  without  the  other's  sympathy.  Mrs. 
Yocomb  mercifully  shielded  me  that  evening,  mere 
ly  saying  that  I  had  seen  enough  company  for  one 
day.  My  sleep  that  night  resulted  from  opiates  in 
stead  of  nature's  impulses,  and  so  was  unrefreshing, 
and  the  doctor  was  surprised  to  find  a  change  for 
the  worse  the  following  morning.  For  two  or  three 
days  the  scale  wavered,  and  I  scarcely  held  what  I 
had  gained.  Mrs.  Yocomb  rarely  left  me,  and  I 
believe  that  I  owe  my  life  not  only  to  her  excellent 
nursing,  but  even  more  to  her  strong  moral  support 
—her  gentle  but  unspoken  sympathy.  I  knew  she 
understood  me,  and  that  her  mercy  was  infinite  for 
my  almost  mortal  weakness  ;  for  now  that  the  inex 
plicable  buoyancy  which  that  chief  of  earthly  hopes 
imparts  was  gone,  I  sank  into  an  abyss  of  despond 
ency  from  which  I  feared  I  could  never  escape. 
Her  wisdom  and  intuitive  delicacy  led  her  to  select 
Reuben  as  her  chief  assistant.  I  found  his  presence 
very  restful  ;  for,  so  far  from  suspecting,  he  could 
not  understand  a  \vound  often  more  real  and  painful 
than  any  received  on  battle-fields.  I  now  could  not 
have  endured  Adah's  intent  and  curious  scrutiny, 
and  yet  I  deeply  appreciated  her  kindness,  for  she 
kept  my  table  laden  with  delicate  fruits  and  flowers. 
The  dainty  little  vase  was  replenished  daily  also 


25°  A   DAY  OF  FATE. 

with  clusters  of  roses — roses  only — and  I  soon  recog 
nized  rare  and  perfect  buds  that  at  this  late  season 
only  a  florist  could  supply.  The  pleasure  they  gave 
was  almost  counterbalanced  by  the  pain.  Their 
exquisite  color  and  fragrance  suggested  a  character 
whose  perfection  daily  made  ray  disappointment 
more  intolerable.  At  last  Mrs.  Yocomb  said, 

"  Richard  Morton,  is  thee  doing  thy  best  to  get 
well  ?  Thee's  incurring  a  grave  responsibility  if 
thee  is  not.  Emily  Warren  is  quite  alone  in  the 
world,  and  she  came  to  me  as  to  a  mother  when 
thee  was  taken  ill,  and  told  me  of  thy  unfortunate 
attachment.  As  thee  said,  she  is  not  to  blame,  and 
yet  such  is  her  kindly  and  sensitive  nature  that  she 
suffers  quite  as  much  as  if  she  were  wholly  to  blame. 
Her  life  almost  depends  on  thine.  She  is  growing 
pale  and  ill.  She  eats  next  to  nothing,  and  I  fear 
she  sleeps  but  little.  She  is  just  waiting  in  miser 
able  suspense  to  see  if  thee  will  keep  thy  word  and 
live.  I  believe  thee  can  live,  and  grow  strong  and 
good  and  noble,  if  thee  will." 

"  Oh,  Mrs.  Yocomb,  how  you  must  despise  me  ! 
If  you  but  knew  how  I  loathe  myself." 

"  No,  I'm  sorry  for  thee  from  the  depths  of  my 
heart.  If  thee's  doing  thy  best,  I've  not  a  word  to 
say  ;  but  thee  should  know  the  truth.  As  Emily 
said,  thee  has  the  power  either  to  embitter  her  life 
or  to  add  very  much  to  its  happiness." 

"  Well,"  I  said,  "  if  I  have  not  the  strength  to 
overcome  this  unmanly,  contemptible  weakness,  I 
ought  to  die,  and  the  sooner  the  better.  If  I'm 
worth  life.  I  shall  live." 


WEAKNESS.  251 

If  ever  a  weak,  nerveless  body  yielded  to  an 
imperious  will,  mine  did.  From  that  hour,  as  far 
as  possible,  I  gave  my  whole  thought  to  recovery, 
and  was  as  solicitous  as  I  before  had  been  apathetic. 
No  captain  could  have  been  more  so  in  regard  to 
his  ship,  which  he  fears  may  not  outride  a  storm. 

I  appealed  to  Dr.  Bates  to  rack  his  brains  in  the 
preparation  of  the  most  effective  tonics  ;  I  took 
my  food  with  scrupulous  regularity  ;  and  in  the 
effort  to  oxygenize  my  thin  pale  blood,  drew  long 
respirations  of  the  pure  summer  air.  Mrs.  Yocomb 
daily  smiled  a  warmer  and  more  hearty  encourage 
ment. 

Under  the  impetus  of  a  resolute  purpose  the 
wheels  of  life  began  to  move  steadily  and  at  last 
rapidly  toward  the  goal  of  health.  I  soon  was  able 
to  sit  up  part  of  the  day. 

As  I  rallied,  I  could  not  help  recognizing  the 
richer  coloring  that  came  into  the  life  at  the  farm 
house,  and  the  fact  touched  me  deeply. 

"  What  is  my  suffering  compared  with  the  happi 
ness  of  this  home?"  I  thought.  "  It  would  have 
been  brutally  selfish  to  have  died." 

I  now  had  my  letters  brought  to  me.  My  paper 
— my  first  love — was  daily  read,  and  my  old  interest 
in  its  welfare  kindled  slowly. 

"Work,"  I  said,  "is  the  best  of  antidotes.  It 
shall  be  my  remedy.  Men  are  respected  only  as 
they  stand  on  their  feet  and  work,  and  I  shall  win 
her  respect  to  the  utmost." 

Reuben  and  Adah  read  to  me.  The  presence  of 
the  former,  like  that  of  his  father  and  mother,  was 


252  A   DAY  OF  FATE. 

very  restful  ;  but  Adah  began  to  puzzle  me.  At 
first  I  ascribed  her  manner  to  an  extravagant  sense 
of  gratitude,  and  the  romantic  interest  which  a 
young  girl  might  naturally  take  in  one  who  had 
passed  with  her  through  peril,  and  who  seemingly 
had  been  dangerously  ill  in  consequence  ;  but  I  was 
compelled  at  last  to  see  that  her  regard  was  not 
open,  frank,  and  friendly,  but  shy,  absorbing,  and 
jealous.  It  gave  her  unmingled  satisfaction  that  I 
did  not  ask  for  Miss  Warren,  and  she  rarely  spoke 
of  her.  When  she  did  she  watched  me  keenly,  as 
if  seeking  to  read  my  thoughts.  Reuben,  on  the 
contrary,  spoke  freely  of  her  ;  but,  from  some  re 
straint  placed  upon  him  by  his  mother  probably, 
did  not  ask  her  to  relieve  him  in  his  care  of  me 
again. 

A/ter  I  began  to  sit  up,  Miss  Warren  would  not 
infrequently  come  to  my  door,  when  others  were 
present,  and  smilingly  express  her  gladness  that  I 
was  improving  daily.  Indeed  there  would  often  be 
quite  gay  repartee  between  us,  and  I  think  that 
even  Adah  was  so  blinded  by  our  manner  that  her 
suspicions  were  allayed.  It  evidently  puzzled  her, 
and  Reuben  also,  that  I  had  apparently  lost  my  in 
terest  in  one  who  had  such  great  attractions  for  me 
at  first.  But  Adah  was  not  one  to  seek  long  and 
deeply  for  subtle  and  hidden  causes  of  action.  She 
had  a  quick  eye,  however,  for  what  was  apparent, 
and  scanned  surfaces  narrowly.  I  fear  I  perplexed 
her  as  sorely  as  she  did  me. 

In  spite  of  every  effort  to  remain  blind  to  the 
truth,  I  began  to  fear  that  she  was  inclined  to  give 


WEAKNESS.  253 

me  a  regard   which    I   had   not   sought,  and  which 
would  embarrass  me  beyond  measure. 

That  a  man  can  exult  over  a  passion  in  a  woman 
which  he  cannot  requite  is  marvellous.  That  he 
can  look  curiously,  critically,  and  complacently  on 
this  most  sacred  mystery  of  a  woman's  soul,  that 
he  can  care  no  more  for  her  delicate  incense  than 
would  a  grim  idol,  is  proof  that  his  heart  is  akin  to 
the  stony  idol  in  material,  and  his  nature  like  that 
of  the  gross,  cruel  divinity  represented.  The  vanity 
that  can  feed  on  such  food  has  a  more  depraved 
appetite  than  the  South  Sea  Islander,  who  is  con 
tent  with  human  flesh  merely.  It  would  seem  that 
there  are  those  who  can  smile  to  see  a  woman  waste 
the  richest  treasures  of  her  spiritual  life  which  were 
designed  to  last  and  sustain  through  the  long 
journey  of  life — ay,  and  even  boast  of  her  immeasu 
rable  loss,  of  which  they,  wittingly  or  unwittingly, 
have  been  the  cause. 

The  oddest  part  of  it  all  is  that  women  can  love 
such  men  instead  of  regarding  them  as  spider-like 
monsters  that,  were  the  doctrine  of  transmigration 
true,  would  become  spiders  again  as  soon  as  com 
pelled  to  drop  their  human  disguise. 

But  women  usually  idealize  the  men  they  love 
into  something  very  different  from  what  they  arc. 
Heaven  knows  that  I  was  not  a  saint  ;  but  I  am 
glad  that  it  caused  me  pain,  and  pain  only,  as  I 
saw  Adah  shyly  and  almost  unconsciously  bending 
on  me  glances  laden  with  a  priceless  gift,  which, 
nevertheless,  I  could  not  receive. 

Her  nature  was  too  simple  and  direct  for  disguises, 


254  A   DAY  OF  FA  TE. 

and  when  she  attempted  them  they  were  often  so 
apparent  as  to  be  comically  pathetic.  And  yet  she 
did  attempt  them.  There  was  nothing  bold  and 
unmaidenly  in  her  manner,  and  as  I  look  back 
upon  those  days  I  thank  God  that  I  was  never  so 
graceless  and  brutal  as  to  show  or  feel  anything  like 
contempt  for  her  gentle,  childlike  preference.  Very 
possibly  also  my  own  unfortunate  experience  made 
me  more  considerate,  and  it  was  my  policy  to  treat 
her  with  the  same  frank,  undisguised  affection  that 
I  manifested  toward  Zillah,  with,  of  course,  the 
differences  required  by  their  different  ages. 

Adah  was  no  longer  repulsive  to  me.  The  events 
of  that  memorable  night  of  storm  and  danger,  and 
the  experiences  that  followed,  had  apparently 
awakened  her  better  nature,  which,  although  having 
a  narrow  compass,  was  gentle  and  womanly.  Her 
old  flippancy  was  gone.  My  undisguised  preference 
for  Miss  Warren  after  I  had  actually  made  her  ac 
quaintance,  and  my  persistent  blindness  to  every 
thing  verging  toward  sentiment,  had  perhaps  done 
something  toward  dispelling  her  belief  that  beauty 
and  dress  were  irresistible.  Thus  she  may  have 
been  led  honestly  to  compare  herself  with  Emily 
Warren,  who  was  not  only  richly  endowed  but 
highly  cultivated  ;  at  any  rate  her  small  vanity  had 
vanished  also,  and  she  was  in  contrast  as  self-dis 
trustful  and  hesitating  in  manner  as  she  formerly 
had  been  abrupt  and  self-asserting.  Moreover  she 
had  either  lost  her  interest  in  her  neighbor's  petty 
affairs,  or  else  had  been  made  to  feel  that  a  ten 
dency  to  gossip  was  not  a  captivating  trait,  and  we 


WEAKNESS.  255 

heard  no  more  about  what  this  one  said  or  that  one 
wore  on  her  return  from  meeting.  While  her  regard 
was  undoubtedly  sincere,  I  felt  and  hoped  that  it 
was  merely  a  sentiment  attendant  on  her  wakening 
and  fuller  spiritual  life,  rather  than  an  abiding  and 
deep  attachment  ;  and  I  believed  that  it  would 
soon  be  replaced  by  other  interests  after  my  de 
parture.  For  my  own  sake  as  well  as  hers  I  had 
decided  to  leave  the  farm-house  as  speedily  as  pos 
sible,  but  I  soon  began  to  entertain  the  theory 
that  I  could  dispel  her  dreams  better  by  remaining 
a  little  longer,  and  by  proving  that  she  held  the 
same  place  in  my  thoughts  as  Zillah,  and  could 
possess  no  other.  There  would  then  be  no  vain  im 
aginings  after  I  had  gone. 

I  rather  wanted  to  stay  until  I  had  fully  recovered 
my  health,  for  I  was  beginning  to  take  pride  in  my 
self-mastery.  If  I  could  regain  my  footing,  and 
stand  erect  in  such  quiet,  manly  strength  as  to 
change  Miss  Warren's  sympathy  into  respect  only, 
I  felt  that  I  would  achieve  a  victory  that  would  be 
a  source  of  satisfaction  for  the  rest  of  life.  That  I 
could  do  this  I  honestly  doubted,  for  seemingly  she 
had  enthralled  my  whole  being,  and  her  power  over 
me  was  well  nigh  irresistible. 

I  knew  that  she  understood  Adah  even  better 
than  I  did,  and  it  seemed  her  wish  to  afford  the  girl 
every  opportunity,  for  she  never  came  to  ask  how  I 
was  when  Adah  was  present  ;  and  the  latter  was 
honest  enough  to  tell  me  that  it  was  Miss  Warren 
who  had  suggested  some  of  the  simple  yet  interest 
ing  stories  with  which  my  long  hours  of  convales- 


256  A   DAY  OF  FATE. 

cence  were  beguiled  ;  but  in  her  latent  jealousy  she 
could  not  help  adding, 

"  Since  Emily  Warren  selected  them,  thee  cannot 
help  liking  them." 

"  I  certainly  ought  to  like  them  doubly,"  I  had 
quietly  replied,  looking  directly  into  her  eyes, 
"  since  I  am  indebted  for  them  to  two  friends  in 
stead  of  one." 

"  There's  a  great  difference  in  friends,"  she  said 
significantly. 

"Yes,  indeed,"  I  replied,  smiling  as  frankly  as  if 
I  had  been  talking  to  Zillah  ;  "  and  your  mother  is 
the  best  friend  I  have  or  ever  expect  to  have." 

Adah  had  sighed  deeply,  and  had  gone  on  with 
her  reading  in  a  girlish,  plaintive  voice  that  was 
quite  different  from  her  ordinary  tones. 

Unconsciously  she  had  imbibed  the  idea — proba 
bly  from  what  she  often  heard  at  meeting — that  any 
thing  read  or  spoken  consecutively  must  be  in  a 
tone  different  from  that  used  in  ordinary  conversa 
tion,  and  she  always  lifted  up  her  voice  into  an  odd, 
plaintive  little  monotone,  that  was  peculiar,  but  not 
at  all  disagreeable.  It  would  not  have  been  natural 
in  another,  but  was  perfectly  so  to  her,  and  har 
monized  with  her  unique  character.  The  long 
words  even  in  the  simple  stories  were  often  formida 
ble  obstacles,  and  she  would  look  up  apprehensively, 
and  color  for  fear  I  might  be  laughing  at  her  ;  but 
I  took  pains  to  gaze  quietly  through  the  window  in 
serene  unconsciousness.  She  also  stumbled  because 
her  thoughts  evidently  were  often  far  away  from 
her  book,  but  at  my  cordial  thanks  when  finishing 


WEAKNESS.  257 

the  story  her  face  would  glow  with  pleasure.  And 
yet  she  missed  something  in  my  thanks,  or  else  saw, 
in  the  quiet  manner  with  which  I  turned  to  my  let 
ters  or  paper,  that  which  was  unsatisfactory,  and 
she  would  sigh  as  she  left  the  room.  Her  gentle, 
patient  efforts  to  please  me,  which  oddly  combined 
maidenly  shyness  and  childlike  simplicity,  often 
touched  the  depths  of  my  heart,  and  the  thought 
came  more  than  once,  "  If  this  is  more  than  a  girl 
ish  fancy,  and  time  proves  that  I  am  essential  to 
her  happiness — which  is  extremely  doubtful — per 
haps  I  can  give  her  enough  affection  to  content  a 
nature  like  hers." 

But  one  glimpse  of  Emily  Warren  would  banish 
this  thought,  for  it  seemed  as  if  my  very  soul  were 
already  wedded  to  her.  "  The  thought  of  another 
is  impossible, ' '  I  would  mutter.  "  She  was  my  fate. ' ' 

Four  or  five  of  the  days  during  which  I  had  been 
sufficiently  strong  to  sit  up  had  passed  away,  and  I 
was  able  to  give  more  of  my  time  to  my  mail  and 
paper,  and  thus  to  seem  preoccupied  when  Adah 
came  to  read.  I  found  Zillah  also  a  useful  though 
unconscious  ally,  and  I  lured  her  into  my  room  by 
innumerable  stories.  Reuben  and  Mr.  Yocomb  were 
now  very  busy  in  their  harvest,  and  I  saw  them 
chiefly  in  the  evening,  but  they  were  too  tired  to 
stay  long.  Time  often  hung  wofully  heavy  on  my 
hands,  and  I  longed  to  be  out  of  doors  again  ;  but 
Mrs.  Yocomb  was  prudently  inexorable.  I  am  sure 
that  she  restrained  Adah  a  great  deal,  for  she  grew 
less  and  less  demonstrative  in  manner,  and  I  was 
left  more  to  myself. 


258  A    DA  V   OF  FATE. 

Thus  a  week  passed.  It  was  Saturday  morning, 
and  between  the  harvest  without  and  preparations 
for  Sunday  within,  all  the  inmates  of  the  farmhouse 
were  very  busy.  The  forenoon  had  well  nigh 
passed.  I  had  exhausted  every  expedient  to  kill 
time,  and  was  looking  on  the  landscape  shimmering 
in  the  fierce  sunlight,  with  an  apathy  that  was  dull 
and  leaden  in  contrast,  when  a  low  knock  caused 
me  to  look  up  ;  but  instead  of  Adah,  as  I  expected, 
Miss  Warren  stood  in  the  doorway. 

"  They  are  all  so  busy  to-day,"  she  said  hesitat 
ingly,  "  that  I  thought  I  might  help  you  pass  an 
hour  or  two.  It  seems  too  bad  that  you  should  be 
left  to  yourself  so  long." 

To  my  disgust,  I — who  had  resolved  to  be  so 
strong  and  self-poised  in  her  presence — felt  that 
every  drop  of  blood  in  my  body  had  rushed  into  my 
face.  It  certainly  must  have  been  very  apparent, 
for  her  color  became  vivid  also. 

"  I  fear  I  was  having  a  stupid  time,"  I  began 
awkwardly.  '  I  don't  want  to  make  trouble.  Per 
haps  Mrs.  Yocomb  needs  your  help." 

"  No,"  she  said,  smiling,  "you  can't  banish  me 
on  that  ground.  I've  been  helping  Mrs.  Yocomb 
all  the  morning.  She's  teaching  me  how  to  cook. 
I've  succeeded  in  proving  that  the  family  would 
have  a  fit  of  indigestion  that  might  prove  fatal  were 
it  wholly  dependent  on  my  performances." 

"  Tell  me  what  you  made?"  I  said  eagerly. 
"  Am  I  to  have  any  of  it  for  my  dinner  ?" 

"  Indeed  you  are  not.  Dr.  Bates  would  have  rne 
indicted." 


U'EAA'XF.SS.  259 

She  looked  at  me  with  solicitude,  for  although  I 
had  laughed  with  her  I  felt  ill  and  faint.  Despair 
ingly,  I  thought,  "  I  cannot  see  her  and  live.  I 
must  indeed  go  away." 

"  So  you  are  coming  down-stairs  to-morrow?"  she 
began.  "  We  shall  give  you  a  welcome  that  ought 
to  make  any  man  proud.  Mrs.  Yocomb  is  all  aglow 
with  her  preparations." 

"  I  wish  they  wouldn't  do  so,"  I  said,  in  a  pained 
tone.  "  I'd  much  rather  slip  quietly  into  my  old 
place  as  if  nothing  had  happened." 

"  I  imagined  you  would  feel  so,  Mr.  Morton,"  she 
said  gently  ;  "  but  so  much  has  happened  that  you 
must  let  them  express  their  abounding  gratitude 
in  their  own  way.  It  will  do  them  good,  and  they 
will  be  the  happier  for  it." 

"  Indeed,  Miss  Warren,  that  very  word  gratitude 
oppresses  me.  There  is  no  occasion  for  their  feel 
ing  so.  Why,  Hiram,  their  man,  could  not  have 
done  less.  I  merely  happened  to  be  here.  It's  all 
the  other  way  now.  If  ever  a  man  was  overwhelmed 
with  kindness,  I  have  been.  How  can  I  ever  repay 
Mrs.  Yocomb  ?" 

"  I  am  equally  helpless  in  that  respect  ;  but  I'm 
glad  to  think  that  between  some  of  our  friends  the 
question  of  repaying  may  be  forgotten.  I  never 
expect  to  repay  Mrs.  Yocomb." 

"  Has  she  done  so  much  for  you,  also  ?" 

"  Yes,  more  than  I  can  tell  you." 

"  Well,"  I  said,  trying  to  laugh,  "  if  I  ever  write 
another  paragraph  it  will  be  due  to  her  good  nurs 
ing." 


260  A    DAY  OF  FA  TE, 

"  That  is  my  chief  cause  for  gratitude,"  she  said 
hurriedly,  the  color  deepening  again  in  her  cheeks. 
"  If  you  hadn't — if — I  know  of  your  brave  effort 
to  get  well,  too — she  told  me." 

14  Yes,  Miss  Warren,"  I  said  quietly,  "  I  am  now 
doing  my  best." 

"  And  you  are  doing  nobly— so  nobly  that  I  am 
tempted  to  give  you  a  strong  proof  of  friendship  : 
to  tell  you  what  I  have  not  told  any  one  except 
Mrs.  Yocomb.  I  feel  as  if  I  had  rather  you  heard 
it  from  me  than  casually  from  others.  It  will  show 
how — how  I  trust  you." 

My  very  heart  seemed  to  stand  still,  and  I  think 
my  pallor  alarmed  her  ;  but  feeling  that  she  had 
gone  too  far,  she  continued  hurriedly,  taking  a  let 
ter  from  her  pocket. 

"  I  expect  my  friend  to-night.  He's  been  absent, 
and  now  writes  that  he  will— 

I  shrank  involuntarily  as  if  from  a  blow,  and  with 
her  face  full  of  distress  she  stopped  abruptly. 

Summoning  the  whole  strength  of  my  manhood, 
I  rallied  sufficiently  to  say,  in  a  voice  that  I  knew 
was  unnatural  from  the  stress  I  was  under, 

"  I  congratulate  you.  I  trust  you  may  be  very 
happy." 

"  I  had  hoped —  "  she  began.  "  I  would  be  if  I 
saw  that  you  were  happy." 

"You  are  always  hoping,"  I  replied,  trying  to 
laugh,  "  that  I  may  become  sane  and  rational. 
Haven't  you  given  that  up  yet  ?  I  shall  be  very 
happy  to-morrow,  and  will  drink  to  the  health  of 
you  both." 


WEAKNESS.  261 

She  looked  at  me  very  dubiously,  and  the  trouble 
in  her  face  did  not  pass  away.  "  Let  me  read  to 
you,"  she  said  abruptly.  "  I  brought  with  me 
Hawthorne's  '  Mosses  from  an  Old  Manse.'  They 
are  not  too  familiar,  I  trust?" 

"  I  cannot  hear  them  too  often,"  I  said,  nerving 
myself  as  if  for  torture. 

She  began  to  read  that  exquisite  little  character 
study,  "The  Great  Stone  Face."  Her  voice  was 
sweet  and  flexible,  and  varied  with  the  thought  as 
if  the  words  had  been  set  to  music.  At  first  I  list 
ened  with  delight  to  hear  my  favorite  author  so 
perfectly  interpreted  ;  but  soon,  too  soon,  every 
syllable  added  to  my  sense  of  unutterable  loss. 

Possibly  she  intuitively  felt  my  distress,  possibly 
she  saw  it  as  I  tried  to  look  as  stoical  as  an  Indian 
chief  who  is  tortured  on  every  side  with  burning 
brands.  At  any  rate  she  stopped,  and  said  hesitat 
ingly, 

"  You — you  do  not  enjoy  my  reading." 

With  a  rather  grim  smile  I  replied,  "  Nothing  but 
the  truth  will  answer  with  you.  I  must  admit  I  do 
not." 

"  Would — would  you  like  to  hear  something 
else?"  she  asked,  in  evident  embarrassment. 

"Nothing  is  better  than  Hawthorne,"  I  said. 
"  I — I  fear  I'm  not  yet  strong  enough."  Then, 
after  a  second's  hesitation,  I  spoke  out  despairingly, 
41  Miss  Warren,  I  may  as  well  recognize  the  truth 
at  once.  I  never  shall  be  strong  enough.  I've 
overrated  myself.  Good-by. " 

She  trembled  ;  tears  came  into  her  eyes,  and  she 


262  A    DAY  OF  FATE. 

silently  left  the  room.     So  abrupt  was  her  depart 
ure  that  it  seemed  like  a  flight. 

After  she  had  gone  I  tottered  to  my  feet,  with 
an  imprecation  on  my  weakness,  and  I  took  an 
amount  of  stimulant  that  Dr.  Bates  would  never 
have  prescribed  ;  but  it  had  little  effect.  In  stony, 
sullen  protest  at  my  fate,  I  sat  down  again,  and  the 
hours  passed  like  eternities. 


CHAPTER   VII. 

OLD    PLOD    IDEALIZED. 

ADAH  brought  me  up  my  dinner,  and  I  at  once 
noted  that  she  was  in  a  flutter  of  unusual  ex 
citement.  Her  mother  had  undoubtedly  prepared 
her  for  the  arrival  of  the  expected  guest,  and  made 
known  also  his  relations  to  one  of  whom  she  had 
been  somewhat  jealous,  and  it  would  seem  that 
the  simple-hearted  girl  could  not  disguise  her  ela 
tion. 

I  was  in  too  bitter  a  mood  to  endure  a  word,  and 
yet  did  not  wish  to  hurt  her  feelings  ;  therefore 
she  found  me  more  absorbed  in  my  paper  and  pre 
occupied  than  ever  before. 

"Thank  you,  Miss  Adah,"  I  said,  cordially  but 
briefly.  "  Editors  are  wretched  company  ;  their 
paper  is  everything  to  them,  and  I've  something  on 
my  mind  just  now  that's  very  absorbing." 

"  Thee  isn't  strong  enough  to  work  yet,"  she  said 
sympathetically. 

"  Oh,  yes,"  I  replied,  laughing  bitterly  ;  "  I'm  a 
small  edition  of  Samson.  Besides,  I'm  as  poor  as 
Job's  impoverished  turkey,  and  must  get  to  work 
again  as  soon  as  possible." 

"  There  is  no  need  of  thee  feeling  that  way  ; 
we — "  and  then  she  stopped  and  blushed. 

"I  know  all  about  'we/'  I  laughed;  ''your 
hearts  are  as  large  as  this  wide  valley,  but  then  I 


264  A    DAY  OF  FA  TE. 

must  keep  my  self-respect,  you  know.  You  have 
no  idea  how  happy  you  ought  to  be  in  such  a  home 
as  yours." 

"  I  like  the  city  better,"  she  replied,  blushing, 
and  she  hastily  left  the  room. 

My  greed  for  work  departed  as  abruptly.  "  Poor 
child  !"  I  muttered.  '  Life  is  a  tangle,'  as  Miss 
Warren  said,  and  a  wretched  one,  too,  for  many  of 
us." 

Mrs.  Yocomb  soon  after  came  in,  and  looked  with 
solicitude  at  my  almost  untasted  dinner. 

"Why,  Richard,"  she  said,  "  thy  appetite  flags 
strangely.  Isn't  thy  dinner  to  thy  taste  ?" 

"  The  fault  is  wholly  in  me,"  I  replied. 

"  Thee  doesn't  look  so  well— nothing  like  so 
well.  Has  Adah  said  anything  to  trouble  thee  ?" 
she  asked  apprehensively. 

"  No,  indeed  ;  Adah  is  just  as  good  and  kind  as 
she  can  be.  She's  becoming  as  good  as  she  is  beau 
tiful.  Every  day  increases  my  respect  for  her  ;" 
and  I  spoke  earnestly  and  honestly. 

A  faint  color  stole  into  the  matron's  cheek,  and 
she  seemed  pleased  and  relieved,  but  she  remarked 
quietly, 

"Adah's  young  and  inexperienced."  Then  she 
added,  with  a  touch  of  motherly  pride  and  solici 
tude,  "  She's  good  at  heart,  and  I  think  is  trying  to 
do  right." 

"  She  will  make  a  noble  woman,  Mrs.  Yocomb — 
one  that  you  may  well  be  proud  of,  or  I'm  no  judge 
of  character,"  I  said,  with  quiet  emphasis.  "She 
and  Zillah  have  both  been  so  kind  to  me  that  they 


OLD   PLOD   IDEALIZED.  265 

already  seem  like  sisters.  At  any  rate,  after  my 
treatment  in  this  home  I  shall  always  feel  that  I 
owe  to  them  a  brother's  duty. " 

The  color  deepened  in  the  old  lady's  face,  that 
was  still  so  fair  and  comely,  and  tears  stood  in  her 
eyes, 

"  I  understand  thee,  Richard/'  she  said  quietly. 
"  I  thought  I  loved  thee  for  saving  our  lives  and 
our  home,  and  I  love  thee  more  now.  Still  thee 
cannot  understand  a  mother's  heart,  Thee's  a  true 
gentleman," 

"  Dear  Mrs.  Yocomb,  you  must  learn  to  under 
stand  me  better  or  I  shall  have  to  run  away  in  self- 
defense.  When  you  talk  in  that  style  I  feel  like  an 
arrant  hypocrite.  I  give  you  my  word  that  I've 
been  swearing  this  very  forenoon." 

"Who  was  thee  swearing  at?"  she  asked,  in 
much  surprise. 

*'  Myself,  and  with  good  reason." 

"  There  is  never  good  reason  for  such  wicked 
ness,"  she  said  gravely,  but  regarding  me  with 
deep  solicitude.  Presently  she  added,  "  Thee  has 
had  some  great  provocation  ?" 

"  No  ;  I've  been  honored  with  unmerited  kind 
ness  and  trust,  which  I  have  ill  requited." 

"  Emily  Warren  has  been  to  see  thee  ?" 

"Yes." 

"Did  she  tell  thee?" 

"  Yes  ;  and  I  feel  that  I  could  throttle  that  man. 
Now  you  know  what  a  heathen  savage  I  am." 

"Yes,"  she  said  dryly,  "  thee  has  considerable 
untamed  human  nature."  Then  added,  smiling, 


266  A   DA  Y  OF  FATE. 

"  I'll  trust  him  with  thee,  nevertheless.  I'm  in 
clined  to  think  that  for  her  sake  thee'd  do  more  for 
him  than  for  any  man  living.  Now  wouldn't  thee?" 

"  Oh,  Satan  take  him  !  Yes  !"  I  groaned.  "  For 
give  me,  Mrs.  Yocomb.  I'm  so  unmanned,  so 
desperate  from  trouble,  that  I'm  not  fit  for  decent 
society,  much  less  your  company.  You  believe  in 
a  Providence  :  why  was  this  woman  permitted  to 
enslave  my  very  soul  when  it  was  of  no  use  ?" 

"  Richard  Morton,"  she  said  reproachfully,  "  thee 
is  indeed  unmanned.  Thee's  wholly  unjust  and 
unreasonable.  This  gentleman  has  been  Emily 
Warren's  devoted  friend  for  years.  He  has  taken 
care  of  her  little  property,  and  done  everything  for 
her  that  her  independent  spirit  would  permit.  He 
might  have  sought  an  alliance  among  the  wealth 
iest,  but  he  has  sued  long  and  patiently  for  her 
hand— 

"  Well  he  might/'  I  interrupted  irritably. 
"  Emily  Warren  is  the  peer  of  any  man  in  New 
York." 

'  Thee  knows  NewYork  and  the  world  in  general 
well  enough  to  be  aware  that  wealthy  bankers  do 
not  often  seek  wives  from  the  class  to  which  Emily 
belongs,  though  in  my  estimation,  as  well  as  in 
thine,  no  other  class  is  more  respectable.  But  I'm 
not  blinded  by  prejudice,  and  I  think  it  speaks  well 
for  him  that  he  is  able  to  recognize  and  honor  worth 
wherever  he  finds  it.  Still,  he  knew  her  family. 
The  Warrens  were  quite  wealthy,  too,  at  one  time." 

"  What  is  his  name  ?"   I  asked  sullenly. 

11  Gilbert  Hean? 


OLD  PLOD  IDEALIZED.  267 

11  What,  Hearn  the  banker,  who  resides  on  Fifth 
Avenue  ?" 

"  The  same." 

"  I  know  him — that  is,  I  know  who  he  is — well." 
Then  I  added  bitterly,  "  It's  just  like  him  ;  he  has 
always  had  the  good  things  of  this  world,  and  always 
will.  He'll  surely  marry  her." 

"  Has  thee  anything  against  him  ?" 

'  Yes,  infinitely  much  against  him  :  I  feel  as  if  he 
were  seeking  to  marry  my  wife." 

"  That's  what  thee  said  when  out  of  thy  mind," 
she  exclaimed  apprehensively.  "  I  hope  thee  is  not 
becoming  feverish  ?" 

"  Oh,  no,  Mrs.  Yocomb,  I've  nothing  against 
him  at  all.  He  is  pre-eminently  respectable,  as  the 
world  goes.  He  is  shrewd,  wonderfully  shrewd,  and 
always  makes  a  ten-strike  in  Wall  Street  ;  but  his 
securing  Miss  Warren  was  a  master  stroke.  There, 
I'm  talking  slang,  and  disgracing  myself  generally." 
But  my  bitter  spirit  broke  out  again  in  the  words, 
"  Never  fear  ;  Gilbert  Hearn  will  have  the  best  in 
the  city  ;  nothing  less  will  serve  him 

11  Thee  is  prejudiced  and  unjust.  I  hope  thee'll 
be  in  a  better  mood  to-morrow,"  and  she  left  my 
room  looking  hurt  and  grieved. 

I  sank  back  in  my  chair  in  wretched,  reckless 
apathy,  and  from  the  depths  of  my  heart  wished  I 
had  died. 

After  a  little  time  Mrs.  Yocomb  came  hastily  in, 
looking  half  ashamed  of  her  weakness,  and  in  her 
hands  was  a  bowl  of  delicious  broth. 

"  My  heart   relents  toward   thee,"  she  said,  with 


268  A    DA  Y   OF  FATE. 

moist  eyes.  "  I  ought  to  have  made  more  allow 
ance  for  one  whose  mother  left  him  much  too  early. 
Take  this,  every  drop,  and  remember  thy  pledge 
to  get  well  and  be  a  generous  man.  I'll  trust  thee 
to  keep  thy  word,"  and  she  departed  before  I  could 
speak. 

"  Well,  I  should  be  a  devil  incarnate  if  I  didn't 
become  a  man  after  her  kindness,"  I  muttered,  and 
I  gulped  down  the  broth  and  my  evil  mood  at  the 
same  time. 

At  the  end  of  an  hour  I  could  almost  have  shaken 
hands  with  Gilbert  Hearn,  who  prospered  in  all  that 
he  touched. 

As  the  sun  declined  I  heard  the  rustle  of  a  silk 
on  the  stairway.  A  moment  later  Miss  Warren 
mounted  the  horse-block  and  stood  waiting  for 
Reuben,  who  soon  appeared  in  the  family  rockaway. 

I  thought  the  maiden  looked  a  trifle  pale  in  con 
trast  with  her  light  silk,  but  perhaps  it  was  the 
shadow  of  the  tree  she  stood  under  ;  but  I  mut 
tered,  "  Even  his  critical  taste  can  find  no  fault  with 
that  form  and  face  ;  she'll  grace  his  princely  home, 
and  none  will  recognize  the  truth  more  clearly  than 
he." 

She  hesitatingly  lifted  her  eyes  toward  my  win 
dow,  and  I  started  back,  forgetting  that  I  was  hid 
den  by  the  half-closed  blinds  ;  but  my  face  suf 
fused  with  pleasure  as  I  said  to  myself, 

"  Heaven  bless  her  !  she  does  not  forget  me 
wholly,  even  on  the  threshold  of  her  happiness." 

At  that  moment  Old   Plod,  passing  through  the 

Tir/-1    in    liic   r>arUr   ^atiirrlaw    rpli^iqo    frnm    tnil      crn\r/^    a 


OLD    PLOD   IDEALIZED.  269 

loud  whinny  of  recognition.  The  young  girl  started 
visibly,  sprang  lightly  down  from  the  block  and 
caressed  her  great  heavy-footed  pet,  and  then,  with 
out  another  glance  at  my  window,  entered  the  rock- 
away,  and  was  driven  rapidly  toward  the  distant 
depot  at  which  she  would  welcome  the  most  fortu 
nate  man  in  the  world. 

I  now  felt  sure  that  I  had  guessed  her  associa 
tions  with  the  old  plough-horse,  and,  sore-hearted 
as  I  was,  I  laughed  long  and  silently  over  the 
quaint  fancy. 

"  Truly/'  I  muttered.  "  the  courtly  and  elegant 
banker  would  not  feel  flattered  if  he  knew  about  it. 
How  in  the  world  did  she  ever  come  to  unite  the 
two  in  her  mind  ?" 

But  as  I  thought  it  all  over  I  was  led  to  con 
clude  that  it  was  natural  enough.  The  lonely  girl 
had  no  doubt  found  that  even  in  the  best  society  of 
a  Christian  city  she  must  ever  be  warily  on  her 
guard.  She  was  beautiful,  and  yet  poor  and  ap 
parently  friendless  ;  and,  as  she  had  intimated,  she 
had  found  many  of  the  young  and  gay  ready  to  flat 
ter,  and  with  anything  but  sincere  motives.  The 
banker,  considerably  her  senior,  had  undoubtedly 
proved  himself  a  quiet,  steadfast  friend.  He  was 
not  the  fool  to.  neglect  her  as  did  those  stupid 
horses,  for  any  oats  the  world  could  offer,  and  she 
always  found  him,  like  Old  Plod,  ready  to  drop 
everything  for  her,  and  well  he  might.  "  No  matter 
how  devoted  he  has  been,  he  can  never  plume  him 
self  on  any  magnanimity,"  I  said  to  myself.  "  She 
probably  finds  him  a  trifle  formal  and  sedate,  and 


2 7°  A    DAY   OF  FATE. 

rather  lacking  in  ideality,  just  as  Old  Plod  is  very 
stolid  till  she  appears  ;  but  then  he  is  safe  and 
strong,  and  very  kind  to  a  friendless  girl,  who  might 
well  shrink  from  the  vicissitudes  of  her  lot,  and  would 
naturally  be  attracted  by  the  protection  and  posi 
tion  which  he  could  offer.  In  spite  of  the  disparity 
of  years,  a  woman  might  easily  love  a  man  who 
could  do  so  much  for  her,  and  the  banker  is  still 
well  preserved  and  handsome.  Of  course  Emily 
Warren  does  love  him  :  all  the  wealth  of  Wall  Street 
could  not  buy  her.  Yes,  in  a  world  full  of  lightning 
flashes  she  has  made  a  thrifty  and  excellent  choice. 
I  may  as  well  own  it,  in  spite  of  every  motive  to 
prejudice.  Gilbert  Hearn  is  not  my  ideal  man  by 
any  means.  Good  things  are  essential  to  him.  He 
would  feel  personally  aggrieved  if  the  weather  was 
bad  for  two  days  in  succession.  He  is  very  charitable 
and  public-spirited,  and  he  likes  our  paper  to  recog 
nize  the  fact  :  I  have  proof  of  that  too.  Alms  given 
in  the  dark  are  not  exactly  wasted — but  I  m  think 
ing  scandal.  lie  so  likes  to  let  his  '  light  so  shine. 
He's  respectability  personified,  and  the  toil-worn 
girl  will  be  taken  into  an  ark  of  safety. 

''  I  suppose  I  ought  to  be  magnanimous  enough 
to  think  that  it's  all  for  the  best,  since  he  can  do  in 
finitely  more  for  her  than  I  ever  could.  She  will  be 
the  millionaire's  wife,  and  I'll  go  back  to  my  dingy 
little  office  and  write  paragraphs  heavy  enough  to 
sink  a  cork  ship.  Thus  will  end  my  June  idyl  ;  but 
should  I  live  a  century  I  will  always  feel  that  Gil 
bert  Hearn  married  my  wife." 


CHAPTER   VIII. 

AN     IMPULSK. 

FOR  nearly  an  hour  I  sat  listlessly  in  my  chair 
and  watched  the  shadows  lengthen  across  the 
valley.  Suddenly  an  impulse  seized  me,  and  I  re 
solved  to  obey  it. 

"  If  I  can  go  down-stairs  to-morrow,  I  can  go  just 
as  well  to-night/'  I  said,  "  and  go  I  will.  She  shall 
not  have  a  shadow  on  her  first  evening  with  her 
lover,  and  she's  too  good-hearted  to  enjoy  it  wholly 
if  she  thinks  I'm  moping  and  sighing  in  my  room. 
Moreover,  I  shall  not  let  my  shadows  make  a  back 
ground  for  the  banker's  general  prosperity.  Stately 
and  patronizing  he  cannot  help  being,  and  Miss 
Warren  may  lead  him  to  think  that  he  is  under  some 
obligation  to  me — I  wish  he  might  never  hear  of  it 
— but,  by  Vulcan  and  his  sledge  !  he  shall  have  no 
cause  to  pity  me  while  he  unctuously  rubs  his 
hands  in  self-felicitation." 

As  far  as  my  strength  permitted,  I  made  a  careful 
toilette,  and  sat  down  to  wait.  As  the  sun  sank  be 
low  the  horizon  the  banker  appeared.  "  Very  ap 
propriate,"  I  muttered  ;  "  but  his  presence  would 
make  it  dark  at  midday." 

Miss  Warren  was  talking  with  animation,  and 
pointing  out  the  surrounding  objects  of  interest,  and 
he  was  listening  with  a  wonderfully  complacent 
smile  on  his  smooth,  full  face. 

"How     prosperous     he     looks!"      I     muttered. 


272  A    DA  Y   OF  FATE. 

''  The  idea  of    anything  going  contrary  to  his  will 
or  wishes  !" 

Then  I  saw  that  a  little  girl  sat  on  the  front  seat 
with  Reuben,  and  that  he  was  letting  her  drive,  but 
with  his  hand  hovering  near  the  reins. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Yocomb  came  out  and  greeted  Mr. 
Hearn  cordially,  and  he  in  return  was  very  benign, 
for  it  was  evident  that,  in  their  place  and  station,  he 
found  them  agreeable  people,  and  quite  to  his  mind. 

"  Why  dosen't  he  take  off  his  hat  to  Mrs.  Yocomb 
as  if  she  were  a  duchess  ?"  I  growled.  "  That  trunk 
that  fills  half  the  rockaway  doesn't  look  as  if  he  had 
come  to  spend  Sunday  only.  Perhaps  we  are  des 
tined  to  make  a  happy  family.  I  wonder  who  the 
little  girl  is  ?" 

The  banker  was  given  what  was  known  as  the 
parlor  bedroom,  on  the  ground  floor,  and  I  heard 
Adah  taking  the  little  girl  to  her  room. 

Miss  Warren  did  not  glance  at  my  window  on  her 
return.  "  She  would  have  been  happy  enough  had 
I  remained  here  and  sighed  like  a  furnace,"  I  mut 
tered  grimly.  *  Well,  idiot  \  why  shouldn't  she 
be?" 

She  had  evidently  lingered  to  say  something  to 
Mrs.  Yocomb,  but  I  soon  heard  her  light  step  pass 
up  to  her  room. 

"  Now's  my  chance,"  I  thought.  "  Mrs.  Yo 
comb  is  preparing  for  supper,  and  all  the  rest  are 
out  of  the  way,"  and  I  slipped  down  the  stairs  with 
noiseless  and  rather  unsteady  tread.  Excitement, 
however,  lent  me  a  transient  strength,  and  I  felt  as 
if  the  presence  of  the  banker  would  give  me  sinews 


A.V  IMPULSE.  273 

of  steel.  I  entered  the  parlor  unobserved,  and  tak 
ing  my  old  seat,  from  which  I  had  watched  the  ap 
proach  of  the  memorable  storm,  I  waited  events. 

The  first  one  to  appear  was  the  banker,  rubbing 
his  hands  in  a  way  that  suggested  a  habit  of  com 
placency  and  self-felicitation.  Me  started  slightly 
on  seeing  me,  and  then  said  graciously, 

"  Mr.  Morton,  I  presume  ?" 

'  You  are  correct,  Mr.  Hearn.  I  congratulate 
you  on  your  safe  arrival." 

'  Thanks.  I've  traveled  considerably,  and  have 
never  met  with  an  accident.  Glad  to  see  you  able 
to  be  down,  for  from  what  I  heard  I  feared  you  had 
not  sufficiently  recovered." 

"I'm  much  better  to-day,  sir,"  I  replied  briefly. 
Well,  this  air,  these  scenes  ought  to  impart 
health  and  content.  I'm  greatly  pleased  already, 
and  congratulate  myself  on  finding  so  pleasant  a 
place  of  summer  sojourn.  It  will  form  a  delightful 
contrast  to  great  hotels  and  jostling  crowds." 

I  now  saw  Miss  Warren,  through  the  half-open 
door,  talking  to  Mrs.  Yocomb.  They  evidently 
thought  the  banker  was  conversing  with  Mr.  Yocomb. 

Instead  of  youthful  ardor  and  bubbling  happi 
ness,  the  girl's  face  had  a  grave,  sedate  aspect  that 
comported  well  with  her  coming  dignities.  Then 
she  looked  distressed.  Was  Mrs.  Yocomb  telling 
her  of  my  profane  and  awful  mood  ?  I  lent  an  in 
attentive  ear  to  Mr.  Hearn's  excellent  reasons  for 
satisfaction  with  his  present  abode,  and  in  the 
depths  of  my  soul  I  thought,  "If  she's  worrying 
about  me  now,  how  good-hearted  she  is  !" 


274  A    DAY  OF  FATE. 

'  I  already  foresee,"  Mr.  Hearn  proceeded,  in 
his  full-orbed  tones,  "  that  it  will  also  be  just  the 
place  for  my  little  girl — safe  and  quiet,  with  very 
nice  people  to  associate  with." 

"  Yes,"  I  said  emphatically,  "  they  are  nice  peo 
ple — the  best  I  ever  knew." 

Miss  Warren  started  violently,  took  a  step  toward 
the  door,  then  paused,  and  Mrs.  Yocomb  entered 
first. 

"  Why,  Richard  Morton  !"  she  exclaimed, 
"  what  does  thee  mean  by  this  imprudence  ?" 

"  I  mean  to  eat  a  supper  that  will  astonish  you," 
I  replied,  laughing. 

"  But  I  didn't  give  thee  leave  to  come  down." 

"  You  said  I  could  come  to-morrow,  so  I  haven't 
disobeyed  in  spirit." 

Miss  Warren  still  stood  in  the  hall,  but  seeing 
that  I  had  recognized  her,  she  came  forward  and 
gave  me  her  hand  as  she  said, 

"  No  one  is  more  glad  than  I  that  you  are  able 
to  come  down." 

Her  words  were  very  quiet,  but  the  pressure  of 
her  hand  was  so  warm  as  to  surprise  me,  and  I  also 
noted  that  what  must  have  been  a  vivid  color  was 
fading  from  her  usually  pale  face.  I  saw,  too,  that 
Mr.  Hearn  was  watching  us  keenly. 

"  Oh,  but  you  are  shrewd  !"  I  thought.  '  I 
wish  you  had  cause  to  suspect." 

I  returned  her  greeting  with  great  apparent  frank 
ness  and  cordiality  as  I  replied,  "  Oh,  I'm  much 
better  to-night,  and  as  jolly  as  Mark  Tapley." 

"Well,"    ejaculated    Mrs.    Yocomb,    "thee    has 


AAT  IMPULSE.  275 

stolen  a  march   on  us,   but  I'm  afraid  thee'll  be  the 
worse  for  it. " 

"Ah,  Mrs.  Yocomb,"  I  laughed,  "  your  captive 
has  escaped.  I'm  going  to  meeting  with  you  to 
morrow." 

"  No  thee  isn't.  I  feel  as  if  I  ought  to  take  thee 
right  back  to  thy  room." 

"  Mr.  Yocomb,"  I  cried  to  the  old  gentleman, 
who  now  stood  staring  at  me  in  the  doorway,  "  I 
appeal  to  you.  Can't  I  stay  down  to  supper?" 

How's    this  !     how's    this  !"      he     exclaimed. 
'  We  were  going  to  give  thee  a  grand  ovation   to 
morrow,  and    mother   had    planned    a    dinner  that 
might  content  an  alderman." 

"  Or  a  banker,"  I  thought,  as  I  glanced  at  Mr. 
Hearn's  ample  waistcoat  ;  but  I  leaned  back  in  my 
chair  and  laughed  heartily  as  I  said, 

'  You  cannot  get  me  back  to  my  room,  Mrs.  Yo 
comb,  now  that  I  know  I've  escaped  an  ovation. 
I'd  rather  have  a  toothache." 

"  But  does  thee  really  feel  strong  enough  ?" 

"  Oh,  yes  ;   I  never  felt  better  in  my  life." 

11  I  don't  know  what  to  make  of  thee,"  she  said, 
with  a  puzzled  look. 

"  No,"  I  replied  ;  "you  little  knew  what  a  case 
I  was  when  you  took  me  in  hand." 

"  I'll  stand  up  for  thee,  Friend  Morton.  Thee 
shall  stay  down  to  supper,  and  have  what  thee 
pleases.  Thee  may  as  well  give  in,  mother  ;  he's 
out  from  under  thy  thumb." 

My  dear  sir,  you   talk  as  if  you  were  out  too. 
I  fear  our  mutiny  may  go  too  far.      To-morrow  is 


276  A   DAY  OF  FATE. 

Sunday,  Mrs.  Yocomb,  and  I'll  be  as  good  as  I 
know  how  all  day,  which,  after  all,  is  not  promising 
much." 

"  It  must  be  very  delightful  to  you  to  have  se 
cured  such  good  friends,"  began  Mr.  Hearn,  who 
perhaps  felt  that  he  had  stood  too  long  in  the  back 
ground.  "  I  congratulate  you.  At  the  same  timer 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Yocomb,"  with  a  courtly  bend  toward 
them,  "  I  do  not  wonder  at  your  feelings,  for  Emily 
has  told  me  that  Mr.  Morton  behaved  very  hand 
somely  during  that  occasion  of  peril." 

"  Did  I  ?"  I  remarked,  with  a  wry  face.  "  I  was 
under  the  impression  that  I  looked  very  ridiculous," 
and  I  turned  a  quick,  mischievous  glance  toward 
Miss  Warren,  who  seemed  well  content  to  remain 
in  the  background. 

'  Yes,"  she  said,  laughing,  "  your  appearance  did 
not  comport  with  your  deeds." 

"I'm  not  so  sure  about  that,"  I  replied  dryly. 
"  At  any  rate,  I  much  prefer  the  present  to  remi 
niscences." 

"  I  trust  that  you  will  permit  me,  as  one  of  the 
most  interested  parties,  to  thank  you  also,"  began 
Mr.  Hearn  impressively. 

"  No,  indeed,  sir,"  I  exclaimed,  a  little  brusquely. 
"  Thanks  do  not  agree  with  my  constitution  at  all." 

"  Hurrah  !"  cried  Reuben,  looking  in  at  the  par 
lor  window. 

"Yes,  here's  the  man  to  thank,"  I  resumed. 
"  Even  after  being  struck  by  lightning  he  was  equal 
to  the  emergency." 

"  No  thee  don't,    Richard,"   laughed    Reuben. 


AV  IMPULSE.  277 

4  Thee  needn't  think  thee's  going  to  palm  that 
thing  off  on  me.  We've  all  come  to  our  senses 
now." 

For  some  reason  Miss  Warren  laughed  heartily, 
and  then  said  to  me,  "  You  look  so  well  and  genial 
to-night  that  I  do  begin  to  think  it  was  some  other 
tramp." 

"  I  fear  I'm  the  same  old  tramp  ;  for,  as  Reuben 
says,  we  have  all  come  to  our  senses." 

'!  Thee  didn't  lose  thy  senses,  Richard,  till  after 
thee  was  sick.  'Twas  mighty  lucky  thee  wasn't 
struck,"  explained  the  matter-of-fact  Reuben. 

'  You  must  permit  me  to  echo  the  young  lad's 
sentiment,"  said  Mr.  Hearn  feelingly.  "  It  was 
really  a  providence  that  you  escaped,  and  kept  such 
a  cool,  clear  head." 

I  fear  I  made  another  very  wry  face  as  I  looked 
out  of  the  window. 

Reuben  evidently  had  not  liked  the  term  "  young 
lad,"  but  as  he  saw  my  expression  he  burst  out 
laughing  as  he  said, 

"What's  the  matter,  Richard?  I  guess  thee 
thinks  thee  had  the  worst  of  it,  after  all." 

"  So  thee  has,"  broke  out  Mr.  Yocomb.  '  Thee 
didn't  know  what  an  awful  scrape  I  was  getting 
thee  into  when  I  brought  thee  home  from  meeting. 
Never  was  a  stranger  so  taken  in  before.  I  don't 
believe  thee'll  ever  go  to  Friends'  meeting  again," 
and  the  old  gentleman  laughed  heartily,  but  tears 
stood  in  his  eyes. 

In  spite  of  myself  my  color  was  rising,  and  I  saw 
that  Mrs.  Yocomb  and  Miss  Warren  looked  un- 


27  A    DA  Y  OF  FATE, 

comfortably  conscious  of  what  must  be  in  my  mind  ; 
but  I  joined  in  his  laugh  as  I  replied, 

'  You  are  mistaken.  Had  I  a  prophet's  eye,  I 
would  have  come  home  with  you.  The  kindness 
received  in  this  home  has  repaid  me  a  thousand 
times.  With  a  sick  bear  on  their  hands,  Mrs. 
Yocomb  and  Miss  Adah  were  in  a  worse  scrape 
than  I." 

'  Well,  thee  hasn't  growled  as  much  as  I  expect 
ed,"  laughed  Mrs.  Yocomb;  "and  now  thee's  a 
very  amiable  bear  indeed,  and  shall  have  thy  supper 
at  once,"  and  she  turned  to  depart,  smiling  to  her 
self,  but  met  in  the  doorway  Adah  and  the  little 
stranger — a  girl  of  about  the  same  age  as  Zillah, 
with  large,  vivid  black  eyes,  and  long  dark  hair. 
Zillah  was  following  her  timidly,  with  a  face  full  of 
intense  interest  in  her  new  companion  ;  but  the 
moment  she  saw  me  she  ran  and  sprang  into  my 
arms,  and,  forgetful  of  all  others,  cried  gladly, 

"  Oh,  I'm  so  glad — I'm  so  glad  thee's  well  !" 

The  impulse  must  have  been  strong  to  make  so 
shy  a  child  forget  the  presence  of  strangers. 

I  whispered  in  her  ear,  "  I   told  you   that   your 
kiss  would  make  me  well. ' ' 

'  Yes  ;  but  thee  said  Emily  Warren's  roses  too," 
protested  the  little  girl. 

"  Did   I  ?"   I   replied,   laughing,    "  Well,   there's 
no  escaping  the  truth  in  this  house." 

I   dared  not  look  at  Miss  Warren,  but  saw  that 
Mr.  Hearn's  eyes  were  on  her. 

"  Confound  him  !"   I  thought.      "  Can  he  be  fool 
enough  to  be  jealous  ?" 


AN  IMPULSE,  279 

Adah  still  stood  hesitatingly  in  the  doorway,  as  if 
she  dared  not  trust  herself  to  enter.  I  put  Zillah 
down,  and  crossing  the  room  in  a  free,  frank  man 
ner,  I  took  her  hand  cordially  as  I  said, 

"  Miss  Adah,  I  must  thank  you  next  to  Mrs.  Yo- 
comb  that  I  am  able  to  be  down  this  evening,  and 
that  I  am  getting  well  so  fast.  You  have  been  the 
best  of  nurses,  and  just  as  kind  and  considerate  as  a 
sister.  I'm  going  to  have  the  honor  of  taking  you 
out  to  supper."  I  placed  her  hand  on  my  arm,  and 
its  thrill  and  tremble  touched  my  very  soul.  In 
my  thoughts  I  said,  "  It's  all  a  wretched  muddle, 
and,  as  the  banker  said,  mysterious  enough  to  be 
a  providence;"  but  at  that  moment  the  ways  of 
Providence  seemed  very  bright  to  the  young  girl, 
and  she  saw  Mr.  Hearn  escorting  Miss  Warren  with 
undisguised  complacency. 

As  the  latter  took  her  seat  I  ventured  to  look 
at  her,  and  if  ever  a  woman's  eyes  were  eloquent 
with  warm,  approving  friendliness,  hers  were.  I 
seemingly  had  done  the  very  thing  she  would  have 
wished  me  to  do.  As  we  bowed  our  heads  in  grace, 
I  was  graceless  enough  to  growl,  under  my  breath, 
"  My  attentions  to  Adah  are  evidently  very  satis 
factory.  Can  she  imagine  for  a  moment — does  she 
take  me  for  a  weather-vane  ?" 

When  grace  was  over,  I  glanced  toward  her  again, 
a  trifle  indignantly  ;  but  her  face  now  was  quiet  and 
pale,  and  I  was  compelled  to  believe  that  for  the 
rest  of  the  evening  she  avoided  my  eyes  and  all 
references  to  the  past. " 

'  Why,  mother  !"   exclaimed   Mr.  Yocomb  from 


280  A   DAY  OF  FATE. 

the  head  of  the  table,  "  thy  cheeks   are  as  red- 
why,  thee  looks  like  a  young  girl." 

'  Thee  knows  I'm  very  much  pleased  to-night," 
she  said.  "  Does  thee  remember,  Richard,  when 
thee  first  sat  down  to  supper  with  us  ?" 

'  Indeed  I  do.  Never  shall  I  forget  my  trepida 
tion  lest  Mr.  Yocomb  should  discover  whom,  in  his 
unsuspecting  hospitality,  he  was  harboring." 

"Well,  I've  discovered,"  laughed  the  old  gen 
tleman.  "  Good  is  always  coming  out  of  Naza 
reth." 

"  It  seems  to  me  that  we've  met  before,"  re 
marked  Mr.  Hearn  graciously  and  reflectively. 

'  Yes,  sir,"  I  explained.  "  As  a  reporter  I  called 
on  you  once  or  twice  for  information." 

"  Ah,  now  it  comes  back  to  me.  Yes,  yes,  I  re 
member  ;  and  I  also  remember  that  you  did  not  ex 
tract  the  information,  as  if  it  had  been  a  tooth. 
Your  manner  was  not  that  of  a  professional  inter 
viewer.  You  must  meet  with  disagreeable  experi 
ences  in  your  calling." 

"  Yes,  sir  ;  but  perhaps  that  is  true  of  all  call- 
ings." 

4  Yes,  no  doubt,  no  doubt  ;  but  it  has  seemed  to 
me  that  a  reporter's  lot  must  frequently  bring  him 
in  contact  with  much  that  is  disagreeable." 

"  Mr.  Morton  is  not  a  reporter,"  said  Adah,  a 
trifle  indignantly  ;  "  he's  the  editor  of  a  first-class 
paper. ' ' 

"  Indeed  !"  exclaimed  Mr.  Hearn,  growing  much 
more  benign  ;  "  why,  Emily,  you  did  not  tell  me 
that." 


AN  IMPULSE.  281 

"  No,  I  only  spoke  of  Mr.  Morton  as  a  gentle 
man." 

"  I  imagine  that  Miss  Warren  thinks  that  I  have 
mistaken  my  calling,  and  that  I  ought  to  be  a  gar 
dener.  " 

"That's  an  odd  impression.  Mr.  Yocomb 
would  not  even  trust  you  to  weed,"  she  retorted 
quickly. 

"  I  have  a  fellow  feeling  for  weeds  ;  they  grow 
so  easily  and  naturally.  But  I  must  correct  your 
impressions,  Miss  Adah.  I'm  not  the  dignitary  you 
imagine — only  an  editor,  and  an  obscure  night  one 
at  that." 

'  Your  night  work  on  one  occasion  bears  the  light 
very  well.  I  hope  it  may  be  the  earnest  of  the  fu 
ture,"  said  Mr.  Hearn  impressively. 

I  felt  that  he  had  a  covert  meaning,  for  he  had 
glanced  more  than  once  at  Miss  Warren  when  I 
spoke,  and  I  imagined  him  a  little  anxious  as  to  our 
mutual  impressions. 

"  I  feel  it  my  duty  to  set  you  right  also,  Mr. 
Hearn,"  I  replied,  with  quiet  emphasis,  for  I  wished 
to  end  all  further  reference  to  that  occasion. 
"Through  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Yocomb's  kindness.  I 
happened  to  be  an  inmate  of  the  farm-house  that 
night.  I  merely  did  what  any  man  would  have 
done,  and  could  have  done  just  as  well.  My  action 
involved  no  personal  peril,  and  no  hardship  worth 
naming.  My  illness  resulted  from  my  own  folly. 
I'd  been  overworking  or  overworked,  as  so  many  in 
my  calling  are.  Conscious  that  I  am  not  in  the 
least  heroic,  I  do  not  wish  to  be  imagined  a  hero. 


282 


DA  Y   OF  FA  TE, 


Mrs.  Yocomb  knows  what  a  bear  I've  been,"  I  con 
cluded,  with  a  humorous  nod  toward  her. 

'  Yes,  I  know,  Richard,"  she  said,  quietly  smil 
ing. 

"  After  this  statement  in  prose,  Mr.  Hearn,  you 
will  not  be  led  to  expect  more  from  me  than  from 
any  ordinary  mortal." 

"  Indeed,  sir,  I  like  your  modesty,  your  self- 
depreciation.  " 

'  I  beg  your  pardon,"  I  interrupted  a  little  de 
cisively  ;  "I  hope  you  do  not  think  my  words  had 
any  leaning  toward  affectation.  I  wished  to  state 
the  actual  truth.  My  friends  here  have  become  too 
kind  and  partial  to  give  a  correct  impression." 

Mr.  Hearn  waved  his  hand,  very  benignly,  and  his 
smile  was  graciousness  itself  as  he  said, 

"  I  think  I  understand  you,  sir,  and  respect  your 
sincerity.  I've  been  led  to  believe  that  you  cherish 
a  high  and  scrupulous  sense  of  honor,  and  that  trait 
counts  with  me  far  more  than  all  others." 

I  understood  him  well.  "  Oh,  you  are  shrewd  !" 
I  thought  ;  "  but  I'd  like  to  know  what  obligations 
I'm  under  to  you  ?"  I  merely  bowed  a  trifle  coldly 
to  this  tribute  and  suggestive  statement,  and  turned 
the  conversation.  As  I  swept  my  eyes  around  the 
table  a  little  later,  I  thought  Miss  Warren  looked 
paler  than  usual. 

"  Does  she  understand  his  precautionary  meas 
ures  ?' '  I  thought.  He'd  better  beware — she  would 
not  endure  distrust." 


CHAPTER   IX. 

A   WRETCHED    FAILURE. 

TH  E  excitement  that  had  sustained  me  was  pass 
ing  away,  and  I  felt  myself  growing  miserably 
weak  and  depressed.  The  remainder  of  the  meal 
was  a  desperate  battle,  in  which  I  think  I  succeeded 
fairly.  I  talked  that  it  might  not  be  noticed  that  I 
was  eating  very  little  ;  joked  with  Mr.  Yocomb  till 
the  old  gentleman  was  ruddy  and  tremulous  with 
laughter,  and  made  Reuben  happy  by  applauding 
one  of  Dapple's  exploits,  the  history  of  which  was 
easily  drawn  from  him. 

I  spoke  often  to  both  Adah  and  Zillah,  and  tried 
to  be  as  frank  and  unconscious  in  one  case  as  the 
other.  I  even  made  the  acquaintance  of  Mr. 
Hearn's  little  girl — indeed,  her  father  formally  pre 
sented  her  to  me  as  his  daughter  Adela.  I  knew 
nothing  of  his  domestic  history,  and  gained  no  clew 
as  to  the  length  of  the  widowhood  which  he  now 
proposed  to  end  as  speedily  as  possible. 

I  was  amused  by  his  not  infrequent  glances  at 
Adah.  He  evidently  had  a  keen  eye  for  beauty  as 
for  every  other  good  thing  of  this  world,  and  he  was 
not  so  desperately  enamored  but  that  he  could 
stealthily  and  critically  compare  the  diverse  charms 
of  the  two  maidens,  and  I  imagined  I  saw  a  slight 
accession  to  his  complacency  as  his  judgment  gave 
its  verdict  for  the  one  toward  whom  he  manifested 


284  A    DA  Y  OF  FA  TE. 

proprietorship  by  a  manner  that  was  courtly,  defer 
ential,  but  quite  pronounced.  A  stranger  present 
could  never  have  doubted  their  relationship. 

A  brief  discussion  arose  as  to  taste,  in  which  Mr. 
Hearn  assumed  the  ground  that  nothing  could  take 
the  place  of  much  observation  and  comparison,  by 
means  of  which  effects  in  color  could  be  accurately 
learned  and  valued.  In  reply  I  said, 

'  Theories  and  facts  do  not  always  harmonize 
any  more  than  colors.  Miss  Adah's  youth  and  rural 
life  have  not  given  her  much  opportunity,  for  obser 
vation  and  comparison,  and  yet  few  ladies  on  your 
Avenue  have  truer  eyes  for  harmony  in  color  than 
she." 

Mr.  Morton  being  the  judge,"  said  the  banker, 
with  a  profound  and  smiling  bow.  "  Permit  me  to 
add  that  Miss  Adah  has  at  this-  moment  only  to 
glance  in  a  mirror  to  obtain  an  idea  of  perfect  har 
mony  in  color,"  and  his  eyes  lingered  admiringly  on 
her  face. 

I  was  worsted  in  this  encounter,  and  I  saw  the 
old  gleam  of  mirthfulness  in  Miss  Warren's  eyes. 
How  well  1  remembered  when  I  first  saw  that  eva 
nescent  illumination — the  quick  flash  of  a  bright, 
genial  spirit.  She  delights  in  her  lover's  keen 
thrusts,"  was  now  my  thought,  "  and  is  pleased  to 
think  I'm  no  match  for  him.  She  should  remember 
that  it's  a  poor  time  for  a  man  to  tilt  when  he  can 
scarcely  sit  erect."  But  Adah's  pleasure  was  unal 
loyed.  She  had  received  two  decided  compliments, 
and  she  found  herself  associated  with  me  in  the 
new-comer's  mind,  and  by  my  own  actions. 


A    WRETCHED  FAILURE.  285 

"I  frankly  admit,"  I  said,  "that  I'm  a  partial 
judge,  and  perhaps  a  very  incompetent  one."  Then 
I  was  stupid  enough  to  add,  "  But  newspaper  men 
are  prone  to  have  opinions.  Mr.  Yocomb  was  so 
sarcastic  as  to  say  that  there  was  nothing  under 
heaven  that  an  editor  did  not  know." 

"  Oh,  if  you  judge  by  her  father's  authority,  you 
are  on  safe  ground,  and  I  yield  at  once." 

He  had  now  gone  too  far,  and  I  flushed  angrily 
as  we  rose  from  the  table.  I  saw,  too,  that  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Yocomb  did  not  like  it  either,  and 
that  Adah  was  blushing  painfully.  It  was  one  of 
those  attempted  witticisms  that  must  be  simply 
ignored. 

My  anxiety  now  was  to  get  back  to  my  room  as 
speedily  as  possible.  Again  I  had  overrated  my 
self.  The  excitement  of  the  effort  was  gone,  and 
my  heart  was  like  lead.  I,  too,  would  no  longer 
permit  my  eyes  to  rest  even  a  moment  on  one  whose 
ever-present  image  was  only  too  vivid  in  spite  of 
my  constant  effort  to  think  of  something  else  ;  for 
so  complete  was  my  cnthrallment  that  it  was  in 
tolerable  pain  to  see  her  the  object  of  another  man's 
preferred  attentions.  I  knew  it  was  all  right  ;  I  was 
not  jealous  in  the  ordinary  sense  of  the  word  ;  I 
merely  found  myself  unable  longer,  in  my  weak 
condition,  to  endure  in  her  presence  the  conse 
quences  of  my  fatal  blunder.  Therefore  I  saw  with 
pleasure  that  I  might  in  a  few  moments  have  a 
chance  to  slip  back  to  my  refuge  as  quietly  as  I  had 
left  it.  Mrs.  Yocomb  was  summoned  to  the 
kitchen  :  a  farm  laborer  was  inquiring  for  her  hus- 


:  A  DAY  OF  fATE. 

band,  and  he  and  Reuben  went  out  toward  the 
barn.  Adah  would  have  lingered,  but  the  two  chil 
dren  pulled  her  away  to  the  swing. 

Mr.  Hearn  and  Miss  Warren  stood  by*  me  a  mo 
ment  or  two  as  I  sat  on  the  lounge  in  the  hall,  and 
then  the  former  said,  "  Emily,  this  is  just  the  time 
for  a  twilight  walk.  Come,  and  show  me  the  old 
garden  ;**  and  he  took  her  away,  with  an  air  of  pro 
prietorship  at  which  I  sickened,  to  that  place  con 
secrated  by  my  first  conscious  vision  of  the  woman 
that  I  hoped  would  be  my  fair  Eve. 

The  moment  they  were  off  the  porch  I  tottered 
to  the  stairway,  and  managed  to  reach  the  turn  of 
the  landing,  and  there  my  strength  failed,  and  I 
held  on  to  the  railing  for  support,  feeling  ill  and 
faint.  A  light  step  came  quickly  through  the  hall 
and  up  the  stair. 

"  \Vhy.  Mr.  Morton  !"  exclaimed  Miss  Warren, 

you  are  not  going  up  so  soon  ?' " 

.  thank  you/*  I  managed  to  say  cheerily. 
"  Invalids  must  be  prudent.  I'm  only  resting  on 
the  landing  a  little. 

"  I  found  it  rather  cool  and  damp,  and  so  came 
back  for  a  shawl,"  she  explained,  and  passed  on  up 
to  her  room,  for  she  seemed  a  little  embarrassed  at 
meeting  me  on  the  sta: 

In  her  absence  I  made  a  desperate  effort  to  go 
on,  but  found  that  I  would  fall.  I  must  wait  till  she 
returned,  and  then  crawl  up  the  best  I  could. 

"  You  see  I'm  prudence  personified,"  I  laughed, 
as  she  came  back.  "  I'm  taking  it  so  leisurely  that 
I  have  even  sat  down  abou«:  it." 


A   WRETCHED  FAILURE. 

"  Are  you  not  overtaxing  yourself  ?"  she  asked 
gently.  "  I  fear—  " 

"  Oh,  no,  indeed — will  sleep  all  the  better  for  a 
change.  Mr.  Hearn  is  waiting  for  you,  and  the 
twilight  isn't.  Don't  worry ;  111  surpass  Samson 
in  a  week." 

She  looked  at  me  keenly,  and  hesitatingly  passed 
down  the  dusky  stairway.  Then  1  turned  and  tried 
to  crawl  on,  eager  to  gain  my  room  without  reveal 
ing  my  condition  ;  but  when  I  reached  the  topmost 
stair  it  seemed  that  I  could  not  go  any  farther  if 
my  life  depended  on  it.  With  an  irritable  impreca 
tion  on  my  weakness,  I  sank  down  on  the  topmost 
step. 

"  Mr.  Morton,"  said  a  low  voice,  "  why  did  you 
try  to  deceive  me.  You  have  gone  far  beyond  your 
strength." 

'You  here— you  of  all  others/"  I  broke  out,  in 
tones  of  exasperation.  "  I  meant  that  your  first 
evening  should  be  without  a  shadow,  and  have 
failed,  as  I  now  fail  in  everything.  Call  Reuben." 

4  Let  me  help  you  ?"  she  pleaded,  in  the  same 
hurried  voice. 

"No."  I  replied  harshly,  and  I  leaned  heavily 
against  the  wall.  She  held  out  her  hand  to  aid  me. 
but  I  would  not  take  it. 

"  I've  no  right  even  to  look  at  you — I  who  have 
been  doubly  enjoined  to  cherish  such  a  *  scrupulous 
sense  of  honor/  I'd  better  have  died  a  thousand 
times.  Call  Reuben." 

"  How  can  I  leave  you  so  ill  and  unhappy  !"  and 
she  made  a  gesture  of  protest  and  distress  whose 


288  A    DAY  OF  FA  TE. 

strong  effect  was  only  intensified  by  the  obscurity. 
"  I  had  hoped — you  led  me  to  think  to-night—" 

"  That  I  was  a  weather-vane.      Thank  you." 

Steps  were  heard  entering  the  hall. 

"  Oh  !  oh  !"  she  exclaimed,  in  bitter  protest. 

"  Emily,"  called  the  banker's  voice,  "  are  you  not 
very  long  ?" 

I  seized  her  hand  to  detain  her,  and  said,  in  a  fierce 
whisper,  "  Never  so  humiliate  me  as  to  let  him 
know.  Go  at  once  ;  some  one  will  find  me. " 

;<  Your  hand  is  like  ice,"  she  breathed. 

I  ignored  her  presence,  leaned  back,  and  closed 
my  eyes. 

She  paused  a  single  instant  longer,  and  then,  with 
a  firm,  decisive  bearing,  turned  and  passed  quietly 
down  the  stairway. 

"  What  in  the  world  has  kept  you  ?"  Mr.  Hearn 
asked,  a  tnfle  impatiently. 

"  Can  you  tell  me  where  Reuben  is  ?"  she  an 
swered,  in  a  clear,  firm  voice,  that  she  knew  I  must 
hear. 

"  What  does  thee  want,  Emily  ?"  cried  Reuben 
from  the  piazza.. 

"  Mr.  Morton  wishes  to  see  you,"  she  replied,  in 
the  same  tone  that  she  would  have  used  had  my 
name  been  Mrs.  Yocomb's,  and  then  she  passed  out 
with  her  affianced. 

Reuben  almost  ran  over  me  as  he  came  bounding 
up  the  stairs. 

"  Hold  on,  old  fellow,"  I  whispered,  and  I  pulled 
Him  clown  beside  me.  "  Can  you  keep  a  secret  ? 
I'm  played  out — Reuben — to  speak  elegantly — and  I 


A    WRETCHED   FAILURE.  289 

don't  wish  a  soul  to  know  it.  I'm  sitting  very — com 
fortably  on  this  step — you  see — that's  the  way  it 
looks — but  I'm  stuck — hard  aground — you'll  have 
to  tow  me  off.  But  not  a  word,  remember.  Lift 
me  up — let  me  get  my  arm  around  your  neck — 
there.  Lucky  I'm  not  heavy — slow  and  easy  now 
— that's  it.  Ah,  thank  the  Lord  !  I'm  in  my  refuge 
again.  I  felt  like  a  scotched  snake  that  couldn't 
wriggle  back  to  its  hole.  Hand  me  that  brandy 
there — like  a  good  fellow.  Now  I  won't  keep  you 
— any  longer.  If  you  care — for  me — never  speak  of 
this." 

"  Please  let  me  tell  mother?'" 

"  No,  indeed." 

44  But  doesn't  Emily  Warren  know?" 

"  She  knows  I  wanted  to  see  you." 

"  Please  let  me  do  something  or  get  thee  some 
thing." 

"  No  ;  just  leave  me  to  myself  a  little  while,  and 
I'll  be  all  right.  Go  at  once,  that's  a  good  fellow." 

"  Oh,  Richard,  thee  shouldn't  have  come  down. 
Thee  looks  so  pale  and  sick  that  I'm  afraid  thee'll 
die  yet  ;  if  thee  does,  thee'll  break  all  our  hearts," 
and  the  warm-hearted  boy  burst  out  crying,  and  ran 
and  locked  himself  in  his  room. 

I  was  not  left  alone  very  long,  for  Mrs.  Yocomb 
soon  entered,  saying, 

"  I'm  glad  thee's  so  prudent,  and  has  returned  to 
thy  room.  Thee  acted  very  generously  to-night, 
and  I  appreciate  it.  I  had  no  idea  thee  could  be  so 
strong  and  carry  it  out  so  well.  Emily  was  greatly 
surprised,  but  she  enjoyed  her  first  evening  far 


290  A   DAY  OF  FATE. 

more  than  she  otherwise  could  have  done,  .for  she's 
one  of  the  most  kind-hearted,  sensitive  girls  I  ever 
knew.  I  do  believe  it  would  have  killed  her  if  thee 
hadn't  got  well.  But  thee  looks  kind  of  weak  and 
faint,  as  far  as  I  can  see.  Let  me  light  the  lamp  for 
thee." 

"  No,  Mrs.  Yocomb,  I  like  the  dusk  best.  The 
light  draws  moths.  They  will  come,  you  know,  the 
stupid  things,  though  certain  to  be  scorched.  One 
in  the  room  at  a  time  is  enough.  Don't  worry— 
I'm  a  little  tired — that's  all.  Sleep  is  all  I  need," 

"  Is  thee  sure  ?" 

"  Yes,  indeed  ;  don't  trouble  about  me.  You 
won't  know  me  in  a  few  days." 

**  Thee  was-  a  brave,  generous  man  to-night, 
Richard.  I  understood  the  effort  thee  was  making, 
and  I  think  Emily  did.  A  good  conscience  ought 
to  make  thee  sleep  well." 

I  laughed  very  bitterly  as  I  said,  "  My  conscience 
is  gutta-percha  to-night,  through  and  through,  but 
please  say -no  more,  or  I'll  have  to  shock  you  again. 
I'll  be  in  a  better  mood  to-morrow." 

"  Wellr  good-night.  Thee'll  excuse  a  house 
keeper  on  Saturday  evening.  If  thee  wants  any 
thing,  ring  thy  bell." 

She  came  and  stroked  my  brow  gently  for  a  mo 
ment,  and  then  breathed  softly, 

"  God  bless  thee,  Richard.  May  the  Sabbath's 
peace  quiet  thy  heart  to-morrow." 


CHAPTER   X. 

IN    THE    DEPTHS. 

1  AWOKE  late  Sunday  morning  and  found  Reu 
ben  watching  beside  me. 

1  Thee's  better,  isn't  thee  ?"  he  asked  eagerly. 

"  Well,  I  ought  to  be.  You're  a  good  fellow, 
Reuben.  What  time  is  it  ? — nearly  night  again,  I 
hope." 

"  Oh,  no,  it's  only  about  eleven  ;  they're  all 
gone  to  meeting.  I  made  'em  leave  you  in  my  care. 
Adah  would  have  stayed,  but  mother  told  her  she 
was  to  go.  Emily  Warren's  grandfather  wanted  to 
go  spooning  off  in  the  woods,  but  she  made  him  go 
to  meeting  too.  I  don't  see  how  she  ever  came 
to  like  him,  with  his  grand  airs." 

"  She  has  good  reasons,  rest  assured." 

"  Well,  he  ain't  the  kind  of  a  man  I'd  go  for  if  I 
was  a  girl." 

"  Miss  Warren  is  not  the  girl  to  go  for  any  man, 
Reuben.  He  had  to  seek  her  long  and  patiently. 
But  that's  their  affair — we  have  nothing  to  do  with 
it." 

"  I  thought  thee  was  taken  with  her  at  first," 
said  Reuben  innocently. 

"  I  do  admire  Miss  Warren  very  much — now  as 
much  as  ever.  I  admire  a  great  many  ladies,  espe 
cially  your  mother.  I  never  knew  a  truer,  kinder 
lady." 

"  And   if  it   had  not  been  for   thee,  Richard,  she 


292  A    DA  Y  OF  FA  TE. 

might  have  been  burned  up,"  and  tears  came  into 
his  eyes. 

"  Oh,  no,  Reuben.  You  could  have  got  them  all 
out  easily  enough." 

"  I  fear  I  would  have  lost  my  head." 

"  No,  you  wouldn't  ;  you  are  not  of  that  kind. 
Please  say  no  more  about  that  affair.  I've  heard 
too  much  of  it." 

"  Does  thee  think  thee'll  be  able  to  come  down 
to  dinner?  Mother  and  father  and  all  of  us  will 
be  awfully  disappointed  if  thee  isn't." 

"  Yes,  I'll  come  down  if  you'll  stand  by  me,  and 
help  me  back  when  I  give  you  the  wink.  I  won't 
go  down  till  dinner's  ready  ;  after  it's  over  you  can 
help  me  out  under  some  tree.  I'm  just  wild  to  get 
out  of  doors." 

I  had  a  consuming  desire  to  retrieve  myself,  and 
prove  that  I  was  not  weakness  personified,  and  I 
passed  through  the  ordeal  of  dinner  much  better 
than  I  expected.  Mr.  H earn  was  benignness  itself, 
but  I  saw  that  he  kept  a  keen  eye  on  me.  The 
shrewd  Wall  Street  man  had  the  eye  of  an  eagle 
when  his  interests  were  concerned,  and  he  very 
naturally  surmised  that  no  one  could  have  seen  so 
much  of  Miss  Warren  as  I  had,  and  still  remain  en 
tirely  indifferent  ;  besides,  he  may  have  detected 
something  in  my  manner  or  imagined  that  the  pe 
culiar  events  of  the  past  few  weeks  had  made  us 
better  acquainted  than  he  cared  to  have  us. 

Miss  \Varren's  greeting  was  cordial,  but  her 
manner  toward  me  was  so  quiet  and  natural  that  he 
had  no  cause  for  complaint,  and  I  felt  that  I  had 


IN    THE   DEPTHS.  293 

rather  be  drawn  asunder  by  wild  horses  than  give 
him  a  clew  to  my  feelings.  I  took  a  seat  next  to 
Mr.  Yocomb,  and  we  chatted  quietly  most  of  the 
time.  The  old  gentleman  was  greatly  pleased 
about  something,  and  it  soon  came  out  that  Mr. 
Ilearn  had  promised  him  five  hundred  dollars  to 
put  a  new  roof  on  the  meeting-house  and  make 
other  improvements.  I  drew  all  the  facts  readily 
from  the  zealous  Friend,  together  with  quite  a  his 
tory  of  the  old  meeting-house,  for  I  proposed  to 
make  a  complimentary  item  of  the  matter  in  my 
paper,  well  knowing  how  grateful  such  incense  was 
to  the  banker's  soul.  Mr.  Hearn,  who  sat  nearest 
to  us,  may  have  heard  my  questions  and  divined 
my  purpose,  for  he  was  peculiarly  gracious. 

I  was  not  able  to  do  very  much  justice  to  Mrs. 
Yocomb's  grand  dinner,  but  was  unstinted  in  my 
praise.  The  banker  made  amends  for  my  inability, 
and  declared  he  had  never  enjoyed  such  a  repast 
even  at  Delmonico's.  I  thought  Miss  Warren's  ap 
petite  flagged  a  little,  but  to  the  utmost  extent  of 
my  power  I  kept  my  eyes  and  thoughts  from  her. 

After  dinner  Reuben  helped  me  to  a  breezy  knoll 
behind  the  dwelling,  and  spreading  some  robes  from 
the  carriage-house  under  a  wide-branching  tree,  left 
me,  at  my  request,  to  myself.  The  banker  now  had 
his  way,  and  carried  Miss  Warren  off  to  a  distant 
grove.  I  would  not  look  at  them  as  they  went 
down  the  lane  together,  but  shut  my  eyes  and 
tried  to  breathe  in  life  and  health. 

Adah  read  to  the  two  little  girls  for  some  time, 
and  then  came  hesitatingly  toward  me.  I  feigned 


294  A    DA  Y  OF  FATE. 

sleep,  for  I  was  too  weak  and  miserable  to  treat  the 
girl  as  she  deserved.  She  stood  irresolutely  a  mo 
ment  or  two,  and  then  slowly  and  lingeringly  re 
turned  to  the  house. 

My  feigning  soon  became  reality,  and  when  I 
awoke  Reuben  was  sitting  beside  me,  and  I  found 
had  covered  me  well  to  guard  against  the  dampness 
of  the  declining  day. 

"  You  are  always  on  hand  when  I  need  you  most," 
I  said  smilingly.  "  I  think  I  will  go  back  to  my 
room  now,  while  able  to  make  a  respectable  retreat." 

I  saw  Mr.  Hearn  and  Miss  Warren  entering  the 
house,  and  thought  that  they  had  had  a  long  after 
noon  together,  but  that  time  no  doubt  had  passed 
more  quickly  with  them  than  with  me,  even  though 
I  had  slept  for  hours.  When  reaching  the  parlor 
door  I  saw  Miss  Warren  at  the  piano  ;  she  turned 
so  quickly  as  almost  to  give  me  the  impression  that 
she  was  waiting  to  intercept  me. 

"  Would  you  not  like  to  hear  your  favorite  noc 
turne  again  ?"  she  asked,  with  a  friendly  smile. 

I  hesitated,  and  half  entered  the  parlor.  Her  face 
seemed  to  light  up  with  pleasure  at  my  compliance. 
How  divine  she  appeared  in  the  quaint,  simple 
room  !  I  felt  that  I  would  gladly  give  the  best 
years  of  my  life  for  the  right  to  sit  there  and  feast 
my  eyes  on  a  grace  and  beauty  that  to  me  were  in 
describable  and  irresistible  ;  but  the  heavy  tread  of 
the  banker  in  the  adjoining  room  reminded  me  that 
I  had  no  right — that  to  see  her  and  to  listen  would 
soon  become  unendurable  pain.  I  had  twice  been 
taught  my  weakness. 


7Ar    THE   DEPTHS,  295 

11  Thank  you,"  I  said,  with  a  short,  dry  laugh  ; 
44  I'm  sorely  tempted,  but  it's  time  I  learned  that 
for  me  discretion  is  certainly  the  better  part  of 
valor,"  and  I  turned  away,  but  not  too  soon  to  see 
that  her  face  grew  sad  and  wistful. 

Heaven  bless  her  kind  heart  !"   I  murmured  as 
I  wearily  climbed  the  stairs. 

Adah  brought  me  up  my  supper  long  before  the 
others  were  through,  and  I  felt  a  faint  remorse  that 
I  had  feigned  sleep  in  the  afternoon,  even  though 
my  motive  had  been  consideration  for  her  as  truly 
as  for  myself. 

"  Miss  Adah  !"  I  exclaimed,  "  you  are  growing 
much  too  unselfish.  Why  didn't  you  get  your  sup 
per  first  ?" 

"  I've  had  all  I  wish.      I'm  not  hungry  to-night." 

"  Truly,  you  look  as  if  you  lived  on  roses  ; 
but  you  can't  thrive  long  on  such  unsubstantial 
diet.  It  was  real  good  of  you  to  read  to  those 
children  so  long.  If  I  had  been  an  artist,  I  would 
have  made  a  sketch  of  you  three.  You  and  that 
little  dark-eyed  girl  make  a  lovely  contrast." 

"I  like  her,"  she  said  simply;  "I  feel  as  if  I 
wanted  some  one  to  pet.  Can't  I  read  to  you 
while  you  eat  your  supper  ?" 

"  I'd  rather  have  you  talk  to  me  :  what  do  you 
think  of  the  little  girl's  father?" 

"  I  haven't  thought  much  about  him." 

"  I  wish  you  could  see  his  house  in  New  York  ; 
it's  a  superb  one,  and  on  your  favorite  Fifth 
Avenue." 

"  Yes,  I  know,"  she  replied  absently. 


296  A   DA  Y   OF  FA  TE. 

14  I  should  think  you  would  envy  Miss  War 
ren.  " 

"  I  don't,""  she  said  emphatically  ,-  "the  man  is 
more  than  the  house/' 

"  I  don't  think  you  would  have  said'  that  a  month 
ago." 

"  I  fear  not,  I  fear thee didn't  like  me  that  Sun 
day  afternoon  when  I  was  so  self-satisfied.  I've 
thought  it  over." 

"  Indeed,  Miss  Adah,  I  would  gladly  be  struck 
by  lightning  myself  if  it  would  change  me  for  the 
better  as  greatly  as  you  are  changed." 

"  It  wasn't  the  lightning,""  she  said,  blushing  and 
slowly  shaking  her  head.  lt  I've  been  thinking." 

44  Ah,"  I  laughed,  "you  are  shrewd.  If  women 
only  knew  it,  (there's  nothing  that  gives  beauty 
like  thought,  and  it's  a  charm  that  increases  every 
year.^)  Well,'"  I  continued,  with  the  utmost  frank 
ness,  "  I  do  like  you  now,  and  what  is  more,  I 
honestly  respect  you.  When  you  come  to  New 
York  again,  I  am  going  to  ask  your  mother  to  trust 
me  as  if  I  were  your  older  brother,  and  I'll  take  you 
to  see  and  hear  much  that  I'm  sure  you'll  en- 
joy." 

"Oh,  that  will  be  splendid  !"  she  cried  gladly. 
"  I  know  mother  will  let  me  go  with  thee,  because 
— because — well,  she  says  thee  is  a  gentleman." 

"  Do  you  know,  Miss  Adah,  I'd  rather  have  your 
mother  say  that  than  have  all  Mr.  Ream's  thou 
sands.  But  your  mother  judges  me  leniently.  To 
tell  you  the  honest  truth,  I've  com -.  lately  to  have 
a  very  poor  opinion  of  myself.  I  feel  :hat  I  would 


IN    THE  DEPTHS.  297 

have  been  a  much  better  man  if,  in  past  years,  I  had 
seen  more  of  such  people  as  dwell  in  this  house." 

"  Thee  remembers  what  father  said  to  thee,"  she 
replied  shyly,  with  downcast  eyes  ;  "  this  is  thy 
home  hereafter." 

"She  looks  now,"  I  thought,  "as  if  she  might 
fulfil  the  dream  I  wove  about  her  on  that  memora 
ble  day  when  I  first  saw  her  in  the  meeting-house. 
How  perverse  my  fate  has  been,  giving  me  that  for 
which  I  might  well  thank  God  on  my  knees,  and 
yet  which  my  heart  refuses,  and  withholding  that 
which  will  impoverish  my  whole  life.  Why  must 
the  heart  be  so  imperious  and  self-willed  in  these 
matters  ?  An  elderly  gentlemen  would  say,  Every 
thing  is  just  right  as  it  is.  It  would  be  the  absurd 
ity  of  folly  for  Miss  Warren  to  give  up  her  magnifi 
cent  prospects  because  of  your  sudden  and  sickly 
sentiment  ;  and  what  more  could  you  ask  or  wish 
than  this  beautiful  girl,  whose  womanhood  has 
awakened  and  developed  under  your  very  eyes, 
almost  as  unconsciously  as  if  a  rose-bud  had  opened 
and  shown  you  its  heart  ?  Indeed,  but  a  brief  time 
since  I  would  have  berated  any  friend  of  mine  who 
would  not  take  the  sensible  course  which  would 
make  all  happy.  If  I  could  but  become  '  sane  and 
reasonable,'  as  Miss  Warren  would  say,  how  she 
would  beam  upon  me,  and,  the  thought  of  my  dis 
appointment  and  woe-begone  aspect  banished,  how 
serenely  she  would  go  toward  her  bright  future  ! 
And  yet  in  taking  this  sane  and  sensible  course  I 
would  be  false  to  my  very  soul — false  to  this  simple, 
true-hearted  girl,  to  whom  I  could  give  but  a  cold, 


298  A  DAY  OF  FA  TE. 

hollow  pretence  in  return  for  honest  love.  I  would 
become  an  arrant  hypocrite,  devoid  of  honor  and 
self-respect." 

Heaven  bless  you,  Adah  !"  I  murmured.  "  1 
love  you  too  well  for  all  your  kindness  and  goodness 
to  pretend  to  love  you  so  ill." 

Thoughts  like  these  passed  through  my  mind  as 
I  thanked  her  for  all  that  she  had  done  for  me,  and 
told  her  of  such  phases  of  New  York  life  as  I 
thought  would  interest  her.  She  listened  with  so 
intent  and  childlike  an  expression  on  her  face  that 
I  could  scarcely  realize  that  I  was  talking  to  one  in 
whose  bosom  beat  the  heart  of  a  woman.  I  felt 
rather  as  if  I  were  telling  Zillah  a  fairy  story. 

Still  I  had  faith  in  her  intuition,  and  believed  that 
after  I  was  gone  she  would  recognize  and  accept 
the  frank,  brotherly  regard  that  I  now  cherished 
toward  her. 

Reuben  was  not  very  long  in  joining  us,  and  boy 
like  did  not  note  that  his  sister  evidently  wished 
him  far  away.  My  greeting  was  so  cordial  that  she 
noted  with  a  sigh  that  I  did  not  regard  him  as  the 
unwelcome  third  party,  Then  Mr.  Yocomb  and 
the  little  girls  came  to  the  door  and  asked  if  there 
was  room  for  a  crowd.  Soon  after  Mrs.  Yocomb 
appeared,  with  her  comely  face  ruddy  from  exercise. 

"  I've  hurried  all  I  could,"  she  said,  "but  thee 
knows  how  it  is  with  housekeepers  ;  and  yet  how 
should  thee  know,  living  all  thy  life  alone  in  dens, 
as  thee  said?  Why,  thee's  having  a  reception." 

"  I  fear  your  guests  down-stairs  will  feel  neglected, 
Mrs.  Yocomb." 


IN   THE  DEPTHS.  299 

"  Don't  thee  worry  about  that,  Richard,"  Mr. 
Yocomb  said,  laughing.  "  I'm  not  so  old,  mother, 
but  I  can  remember  when  we  could  get  through  an 
evening  together  without  help  from  anybody.  I 
reckon  we  could  do  so  again — eh  ?  mother  ?  Ha, 
ha,  ha  !  so  thee  isn't  too  old  to  blush  yet  ?  How's 
that,  Richard,  for  a  young  girl  of  sixty.  Don't 
thee  worry  about  Emily  Warren.  I  fear  that  any 
one  of  us  would  make  a  large  crowd  in  the  old 
parlor." 

This  was  sorry  comfort,  and  I  fear  that  my  laugh 
was  anything  but  honest,  while  Mrs.  Yocomb  stared 
out  of  the  window,  at  which  she  sat  fanning  her 
self,  with  a  fixedness  that  I  well  understood. 

But  they  were  all  so  kind  and  hearty  that  I  could 
no  more  give  way  to  dejection  than  to  chill  and 
cheerlessness  before  a  genial  wood  fire.  They  seemed 
in  truth  to  havre  taken  me  into  the  family.  Rarely 
was  I  now  addressed  formally  as  Richard  Morton. 
It  was  simply  **  Richard,"  spoken  with  the  unpre 
meditated  friendliness  characteristic  of  family  inter 
course.  Heathen  though  I  was,  I  thanked  God  that 
he  had  brought  me  among  these  true-hearted  peo 
ple  ;  "and  may  He  blast  me,"  I  muttered,  "  if  I 
ever  relapse  into  the  old  sneering  cynicism  that  I 
once  affected.  Let  me  at  least  leave  that  vice  to 
half-fledged  young  men  and  to  bad  old  men." 

One  thing  puzzled  me.  Miss  Warren  remained 
at  her  piano, -and  it  struck  me  as  a  little  odd  that 
she  did  not  find  the  music  of  her  lover's  voice  pref 
erable,  but  I  concluded  that  music  was  one  of  the 
strongest  bonds  of  sympathy  between  them,  and 


300  A  DAY  OF  FATE, 

one  of  the  means  by  which  he  had  won  her  affec 
tion.  Sometimes,  as  her  voice  rose  clear  and  sweet 
to  my  open  windows,  I  answered  remarks  addressed 
to  me  with  an  inaptness  that  only  Mrs,  Yocomb  un 
derstood. 

Before  very  long',  that  considerate  lady  looked 
into  my  face  a  moment,  and  then  said  decisively, 

"  Richard,  thee  is  getting  tired.  We  must  all  bid 
thee  good-night  at  once." 

Adah  looked  almost  resentfully  at  her  mother, 
and  lingered  a  little  behind  the  others.  As  they 
passed  out  she  stepped  hastily  back,  and  unclasp 
ing  a  rose-bud  from  her  breastpin  laid  it  on  the 
table  beside  me. 

'*  It  was  the  last  one  I  could  find  in  the  garden,'" 
she  said  breathlessly,  and  with  its  color  in  her 
cheeks,  Before  I  could  speak  she  was  gone. 

"  It  shall  be  treated  with  reverence,  like  the 
feeling  which  led  to  the  gift,"  I  murmured  sadly. 

Heaven  grant  that  it  may  be  only  the  impulse  of 
a  girlish  fancy  \*  and  I  filled  a  little  vase  with  water 
and  placed  the  bud  near  the  window,  where  the 
cool  night  air  could  blow  upon  it. 

Still  Miss  Warren  remained  at  the  piano,  "  How 
singularly  fond  of  music  he  is  !"  I  thought. 

I  darkened  my  room,  and  sat  at  the  window  that 
I  might  hear  every  note.  The  old  garden,  half  hid 
den  by  trees,  looked  cool  and  Eden-like  in  the  light 
of  the  July  moon,  athwart  whose  silver  hemisphere 
fleecy  clouds  were  drifting  like  the  traces  of  thought 
across  a  bright  face.  Motionless  shadows  stretched 
toward  the  east,  from  which  the  new  day  would 


7.V    THE  DEPTHS.  301 

come,  but  with  a  dreary  sinking  of  heart  I  felt  as  if 
each  coming  day  would  bring  a  heavier  burden. 

But  a  little  time  passed  before  I  recognized  Cho 
pin's  Nocturne,  to  which  I  had  listened  with  kin 
dling  hope  on  the  night  of  the  storm.  Was  it  my 
own  mood, or  did  she  play  it  with  far  more  pathos  and 
feeling  than  on  that  never-to-be-forgotten  evening? 
Be  that  as  it  may,  it  evoked  a  fiercer  storm  of  un 
availing  passion  and  regret  in  my  mind.  In  bitter 
ness  of  heart  I  groaned  aloud  and  insulted  God. 

"  It  was  a  cruel  and  terrible  thing,"  I  charged, 
"  to  mock  a  creature  with  such  a  hope.  Why  was 
such  power  over  me  given  to  her  when  it  was  of 
no  use  ?"  But  I  will  say  no  more  of  that  hour  of 
weak  human  idolatry.  It  was  a  revelation  to  me  of 
the  depths  of  despair  and  wretchedness  into  which 
one  can  sink  when  unsustained  by  manly  fortitude 
or  Christian  principle.  It  is  in  such  desperate,  ir 
rational  moods  that  undisciplined,  ill-balanced  souls 
thrust  themselves  out  from  the  light*  of  God's  sun 
shine  and  the  abundant  possibilities  of  future  good. 
I  now  look  back  on  that  hour  with  shame,  and  can 
not  excuse  it  even  by  the  fact  that  I  was  enfeebled 
in  mind  as  wrell  as  body  by  disease.  We  often 
never  know  ourselves  or  our  need  until  after  we 
have  failed  miserably  under  the  stress  of  some 
strong  temptation. 

I  was  the  worse  the  next  day  for  my  outburst  of 
passion,  and  the  wretched  night  that  followed,  and 
did  not  leave  my  room  ;  but  I  was  grim  and  rigid 
in  my  purpose  to  retrieve  myself.  I  appeared  to  be 
occupied  with  my  mail  and  paper  much  of  the 


302  A    DAY   OF  FA  TE. 

day,  and  I  wrote  a  very  complimentary  paragraph 
concerning  the  banker's  gift  for  the  meeting 
house.  Mr.  Hearn  and  Miss  Warren  were  out 
riding  much  of  the  time.  I  saw  them  drive  away 
with  a  lowering  brow,  and  was  not  disarmed  of  rny 
bitterness  because  I  saw,  through  the  half-closed 
blinds,  that  the  young  girl  stole  a  swift  glance  at  my 
window. 

Adah  was  pleased  as  she  saw  how  I  was  caring 
for  her  gift  ;  but  I  puzzled  and  disheartened  her  by 
my  preoccupation  and  taciturnity.  She  took  the 
children  off  on  a  long  ramble  in  the  afternoon,  and 
heaped  coals  of  fire  on  my  head  by  bringing  me  an 
exquisite  collection  of  ferns. 

The  next  morning  I  went  down  to  breakfast  re 
solving  to  take  my  place  in  the  family,  and  make 
no  more  trouble  during  the  brief  remainder  of  my 
stay,  for  I  proposed  to  go  back  to  the  city  as 
soon  as  I  had  shown  enough  manhood  to  satisfy  my 
pride,  and  had  made  Miss  Warren  believe  that 
she  could  dismiss  her  solicitude  on  my  account,  and 
thus  enjoy  the  happiness  which  apparently  I  had 
clouded.  As  I  saw  her  pale  face  again  I  con 
demned  my  weakness  unsparingly,  and  with  the 
whole  force  of  my  will  endeavored  to  act  and  appear 
as  both  she  and  Mr.  Hearn  would  naturally  wish. 

Richard,"  said  Reuben,  after  breakfast,  "  I've 
borrowed  a  low  phaeton,  and  I'm  going  to  take  thee 
out  with  Dapple.  He'll  put  life  in  thee,  never  fear. 
He'd  cure  me  if  I  were  half  dead." 

He  was  right  ;  the  swift  motion  through  the  pure 
air  braced  me  greatly. 

* 


IN   THE  DEPTHS.  303 

When  we  returned,  the  banker  sat  on  the  piazza. 
Adah  was  near,  with  some  light  sewing,  and  the 
connoisseur  was  leisurely  admiring  her.  Well  he 
might,  for  in  her  neat  morning  gown  she  again 
seemed  the  embodiment  of  a  June  day.  She  rose 
to  meet  me,  with  a  faint  accession  to  her  delicate 
color,  and  said, 

"  The  ride  has  done  thee  good  ;  thee  looks  better 
than  thee  has  any  day  yet." 

"  Reuben's  right,"  I  said,  laughing;  "  Dapple 
would  bring  a  fossil  to  life,"  and  the  young  fellow 
drove  chuckling  down  toward  the  barn,  making 
Dapple  rear  and  prance  in  order  to  show  off  a  little 
before  Mr.  Hearn, 

I  sat  down  a  few  moments  to  rest.  Miss  Warren 
must  have  heard  our  voices  ;  but  she  went  on  with 
an  intricate  piece  of  music  in  which  she  was  display 
ing  no  mean  skill.  I  did  not  think  Mr.  Hearn  was 
as  much  interested  in  it  as  I  was.  His  little  girl 
came  out  of  the  house  and  climbed  into  Adah's 
lap.  She  evidently  liked  being  petted,  and  was  not 
a  little  spoiled  by  it.  The  banker  continued  to  ad 
mire  the  picture  they  made  with  undisguised  enjoy 
ment,  and  I  admitted  that  the  most  critical  could 
have  found  no  fault  with  the  group. 

After  exerting  myself  to  seem  exceedingly  cheer 
ful,  and  laughing  heartily  at  a  well-worn  jest  of  Mr. 
Hearn's,  I  went  to  my  room  and  rested  till  dinner, 
and  I  slept  away  the  afternoon  as  on  the  previous 
day. 

My  plan  was  now  to  get  sufficiently  strong  to 
take  my  departure  by  the  following  Monday,  and  I 


3°4  A    DA  Y   OF  FA  TE. 

was  glad  indeed  that  the  tonic  of  out-of-door  air 
promised  an  escape  from  a  position  in  which  I  must 
continually  seem  to  be  what  I  wras  not— a  cheerful 
man  in  the  flood  tide  of  convalescence.  Were  it 
not  that  my  kind  friends  at  the  farm-house  would 
have  been  grievously  hurt,  I  would  have  left  at 
once. 

As  I  returned  from  my  ride  the  next  day,  Mr, 
Hearn  greeted  me  with  a  newspaper  in  his  hand. 

"  I'm  indebted  to  you,"  he  said,  in  his  most  gia- 
cious  manner,  "  for  a  very  kindly  mention  here* 
So  small  a  donation  was  not  worth  the  importance 
you  give  it,  but  you  have  put  the  matter  so  happily 
and  gracefully  that  it  may  lead  other  men  of  means 
to  do  likewise  at  the  various  places  of  their  summer 
sojourn.  You  editors  are  able  to  wield  a  great  deal 
of  influence." 

I  bowed,  and  said  I  was  glad  the  paragraph  had 
been  worded  in  a  way  not  disagreeable  to  him. 

"  Oh,  it  was  good  taste  itself,  I  assure  you,  sir.  It 
seemed  the  natural  expression  of  your  interest  in 
that  which  interests  your  good  friends  here." 

When  I  came  down  to  dinner  I  saw  that  there  was 
an  unwonted  fire  in  Miss  Warren's  eyes  and  un 
usual  color  in  her  cheeks.  Moreover,  I  imagined 
that  her  replies  to  the  few  remarks  that  I  addressed 
to  her  were  brief  and  constrained.  "  She  is  no  dis 
sembler,"  I  thought  ;  "  something  has  gone  wrong. " 

After  dinner  I  went  to  my  room  for  a  book,  and 
as  I  came  out  I  met  her  in  the  hall. 

"  Mr.  Morton,"  she  said,  with  characteristic  di 
rectness,  "  if  you  had  given  a  sum  toward  a  good 


IN   THE   DEPTHS.  305 

object  in  a  quiet  country  place,  would  you  have 
been  pleased  to  see  the  fact  paraded  before  those 
having  no  natural  interest  in  the  matter?" 

"  I  have  never  had  the  power  to  be  munificent, 
Miss  Warren,"  I  replied,  with  some  embarrass 
ment. 

'  Please  answer  me,"  she  insisted,  with  a  little 
impatient  tap  of  the  floor  with  her  foot. 

"  No,"  I  said  bluntly. 

Did  you  think  it  would  be  pleasing  to  me  ?" 

"Pardon  me,"  I  began,  "that  I  did  not  suffi 
ciently  identify  you  with  Mr.  Hearn — " 

What  !"  she  interrupted,  blushing  hotly,  "  have 
I  given  any  reason  for  not  being  identified  with 
him  ?" 

"  Not  at  all — not  in  one  sense,"  I  said  bitterly. 
"  Of  course  you  are  loyalty  itself." 

She  turned  away  so  abruptly  as  to  surprise  me  a 
little. 

'  You  had  no  more  right  to  think  it  would  be 
pleasing  to  him  than  to  me,"  she  resumed  coldly. 

"  Miss  Warren,"  I  said,  after  a  moment,  "  don't 
turn  your  back  on  me.  I  won't  quarrel  with  you, 
and  I  promise  to  do  nothing  of  the  kind  again  ;" 
and  I  spoke  gravely  and  a  little  sadly. 

'  When  you  speak  in  that  way  you  disarm  me 
completely,"  she  said,  with  one  of  the  sudden  illu 
minations  of  her  face  that  I  so  loved  to  see  ;  but  I 
also  noted  that  she  had  become  very  pale,  and  as  my 
eyes  met  hers  I  thought  I  detected  the  old  fright 
ened  look  that  I  had  seen  when  I  had  revealed  my 
feelings  too  clearly  after  my  illness. 


3°6  A    DA  Y  OF  FA  TE. 

"  She  fears  that  I  may  again  speak  as  I  ought 
not,"  I  thought  ;  and  therefore  I  bowed  quietly 
and  passed  on.  Mr.  Hearn  was  reading  the  paper 
on  the  piazza.  I  took  a  chair  and  went  out  under 
the  elm,  not  far  away.  In  a  few  moments  Miss 
\Yarren  joined  her  affianced,  and  sat  down  with 
some  light  work. 

"  Emily,"  I  heard  the  banker  say,  as  if  the  topic 
were  uppermost  in  his  mind,  "I'd  like  to  call  your 
attention  to  this  paragraph.  I  think  our  friend  has 
written  it  with  unusual  good  taste  and  grace,  and 
I've  taken  pains  to  tell  him  so." 

I  could  not  help  hearing  his  words  ;  but  I  would 
not  look  up  to  see  her  humiliation,  and  turned  a 
leaf,  as  if  intent  on  my  author. 

After  a  moment  she  said,  with  slight  but  clear 
emphasis, 

"  I  can't  agree  with  you." 

A  little  later  she  went  to  the  piano  ;  but  I  never 
heard  her  play  so  badly.  A  glance  at  Mr.  Hearn 
revealed  that  his  dignity  and  complacency  had  re 
ceived  a  wound  that  he  was  inclined  to  resent.  I 
strolled  away  muttering, 

"  She  has  idealized  him  as  she  did  Old  Plod,  but 
after  all  it's  not  a  very  serious  foible  in  a  man  of 
millions." 

Before  the  day  passed  she  found  an  opportunity  to 
ask, 

'  Why  did  you  not  tell  me  that  Mr.  Hearn  had 
spoken  to  you  approvingly  of  that  paragraph  ?" 

"I  would  not  willingly  say  anything  to  annoy 
you,"  I  replied  quietly. 


IN    THE    DEPTHS.  307 

"  Did  you  hear  him  call  my  attention  to  it  ?" 
"  I  could  not  help  it." 

'  You  did  not  look  up  and  triumph  over  me." 
"  That  would  have  given  me  no  pleasure." 
"  I   believe  you,"  she  said,  in  a  low  tone  ;  but 
she  devoted  herself  so  assiduously  to  the  stately 
banker  that   he  became  benignness    itself.      I    also 
observed  that  Mr.  Yocomb  looked  in  vain  for  the 
paper   after   tea.       "  I    happened    to    destroy    my 
copy,"  I  said  very  innocently. 


CHAPTER    XI. 

POOR     ACTING. 

THE  last  week  that  I  proposed  remaining  at  the 
farm-house  was  passing  quietly  and  unevent 
fully   away.      I    was    gaining   steadily   though    not 
rapidly  in  physical  strength,  but  not  in  my  power 
to   endure  my  disappointment    with     equanimity, 
much  less  with  resignation.      In  the  delirium  of  my 
fever   I   kept   constantly  repeating    the   words— so 
Mrs.  Yocomb   told   me— "  It's  all  wrong.''     Each 
successive  day  found  these  words  on  my  lips  again 
with  increasing  frequency.      It  seemed   contrary  to 
both  right  and  reason  that  she  should  so  completely 
enslave  me,  and  then  go  away  leaving  me  a   bound 
and  helpless  captive.     The  conviction  grew  stronger 
that  no  such  power  over  me  should  have  been  «-iven 
to  her,  if  her  influence  was  to  end  only  in  darken 
ing  my  life  and  crippling  my  power  to  be  a  forceful 
man  among  men.      I  felt  with   instinctive   certainty 
that  my  burden   would   be   too   heavy  to   leave  me 
the  elastic  spring  and  energy  required  by  my  exact 
ing  profession.     A  hopeful,   eager  interest   in   life 
and   the   world   at  large   was  the  first   necessity  to 
success  in  my  calling  ;  but  already  I  found  a  leaden 
apathy  creeping  over  me  which  even  the  powerful 
motives  of  pride,  and  my  resolute  purpose  to  seem 
cheerful  that  she  might  go  on  to  her  bright  future 
iin regretfully,  were  not  sufficiently  strong  to  banish. 


POOR   ACTING.  309 

If  I  could  not    cope    with  tin's  despondency    in  its 
inception,  how  could  I  face  the  future  ? 

At  first  I  had  bitterly  condemned  my  weakness  ; 
but  now  I  began  to  recognize  the  strength  of  my 
love,  which,  so  far  from  being  a  mere  sudden  pas 
sion,  was  the  deep,  abiding  conviction  that  I  had 
met  the  only  woman  I  could  marry — the  woman 
whom  my  soul  claimed  as  its  mate,  because  she  pos 
sessed  the  power  to  help  me  and  inspire  me  to  tire 
less  effort  toward  better  living  and  nobler  achieve 
ment.  Her  absolute  truth  would  keep  me  true  and 
anchored  amid  the  swift,  dark  currents  of  the  world 
to  which  I  was  exposed.  I  feared,  with  almost  in 
stinctive  certainty,  that  I  would  become  either  a 
brooding,  solitary  man  or  else  a  very  ambitious  and 
reckless  one,  for  I  was  conscious  of  no  reserve 
strength  which  would  enable  me  to  go  steadfastly  on 
my  way  under  the  calm  and  inexorable  guidance  of 
duty. 

Such  was  my  faith  in  her  that  I  had  no  hope 
whatever.  If  she  loved  and  had  given  her  troth  to 
another  man,  it  would  not  be  in  her  nature  to  change, 
therefore  my  purpose  had  simplified  itself  to  the 
effort  to  get  through  this  one  week  at  the  farm 
house  in  a  manner  that  would  enable  me  to  carry- 
away  the  respect  of  all  its  inmates,  but  especially 
the  esteem  of  one  to  whom  I  feared  I  seemed  a 
rash,  ill-balanced  man.  So  carefully  had  I  avoided 
Miss  Warren's  society,  and  yet  so  freely  and  frankly, 
apparently,  had  I  spoken  to  her  in  the  presence  of 
her  affianced,  that  his  suspicions  were  evidently  ban 
ished,  and  he  treated  me  with  a  gracious  and  pn- 


310  A   DAY  OF  FATE. 

tronizing  benignance.  He  saw  no  reason  why  he 
should  not  turn  on  me  the  light  of  his  full  and  smil 
ing  countenance,  which  might  be  taken  as  an  em 
blem  of  prosperity  ;  and,  in  truth,  I  gave  him  no 
reason.  So  rigid  was  the  constraint  under  which  I 
kept  myself  that  jealousy  itself  could  not  have  found 
fault. 

With  the  exception  of  the  two  momentary  inter 
views  recorded  in  the  previous  chapter,  we  had  not 
spoken  a  syllable  together,  except  in  his  presence, 
nor  had  I  permitted  my  eyes  to  follow  her  with  a 
wistful  glance  that  he  or  she  could  intercept.  Even 
Mrs.  Yocomb  appeared  to  think  that  I  was  recover 
ing  in  more  senses  than  one,  and  by  frequent  romps 
with  the  children,  jests  and  chaffing  with  Mr.  Yo 
comb  and  Reuben,  by  a  little  frank  and  ostentatious 
gallantry  to  Adah,  which  no  longer  deceived  even 
her  simple  mind,  since  I  never  sought  her  exclusive 
society  as  a  lover  would  have  done,  I  confirmed  the 
impression. 

And  yet,  in  spite  of  all  efforts  and  disguises,  the 
truth  will  often  flash  out  unexpectedly  and  irresisti 
bly,  making  known  all  that  we  hoped  to  hide  with 
the  distinctness  of  the  lightning,  which  revealed 
even  the  color  of  the  roses  on  the  night  of  the  storm. 

The  weather  had  become  exceedingly  warm,  and 
Miss  Warren's  somewhat  portly  suitor  clung  persis 
tently  to  the  wide,  cool  veranda.  Adah  sat  there 
frequently  also  ;  sometimes  she  read  to  the  children 
fairy  stories,  of  which  Adela,  Mr.  Hearn's  little 
girl,  had  brought  a  great  store,  and  she  seemed  to 
enjoy  them  quite  as  much  as  her  eager-eyed  lis- 


POOR  ACTING.  311 

teners  ;  but  more  often  she  superintended  their 
doll  dress-making,  over  which  there  were  the  most 
animated  discussions.  The  banker  would  look  on 
with  the  utmost  content,  while  he  slowly  waved  his 
palm-leaf  fan.  Indeed  the  group  was  pretty  enough 
to  justify  all  the  pleasure  he  manifested. 

The  rustic  piazza  formed  just  the  setting  for 
Adah's  beauty,  and  her  light  summer  costume  well 
suggested  her  perfect  and  womanly  form,  while  the 
companionship  of  the  children  proved  that  she  was 
almost  as  guileless  and  childlike  as  they.  The  group 
was  like  a  bubbling,  sparkling  spring,  at  which  the 
rather  advanced  man  of  the  world  sipped  with  in 
creasing  pleasure. 

Miss  Warren  also  gave  much  of  her  time  to  the 
children,  and  beguiled  them  into  many  simple  les 
sons  at  the  piano.  Zillah  was  true  to  her  first  love, 
but  Adela  gave  to  Adah  a  decided  preference  ;  and 
when  they  entered  on  the  intense  excitement  of 
making  a  new  wardrobe  for  each  of  the  large  dolls 
that  Mr.  Hearn  had  brought,  Adah  had  the  advan 
tage,  for  she  was  a  genius  in  such  matters,  and 
quite  as  much  interested  as  the  little  girls  them 
selves. 

In  my  desperate  struggle  with  myself,  I  tried  not 
even  to  see  Miss  Warren,  for  every  glance  appeared 
to  rivet  my  chains,  and  yet  I  gained  the  impression 
that  she  was  a  little  restless  and  distraite.  She 
seemed  much  at  her  piano,  not  so  much  for  Mr. 
Hearn's  sake  as  her  own,  and  sometimes  I  was  so 
impressed  by  the  strong,  passionate  music  that  she 
evoked  that  I  was  compelled  to  hasten  beyond  its 


3*2  A  DAY  OF  FATE. 

reach.  It  meant  too  much  to  me.  Oh,  the  strange 
idolatry  of  an  absorbing  affection  !  All  that  she 
said  or  did  had  for  me  an  indescribable  charm  that 
both  tortured  and  delighted.  Still  every  hour  in 
creased  my  conviction  that  my  only  safety  was  in 
flight. 

My  faithful  ally,  Reuben,  still  took  me  on  long 
morning  drives,  and  in  the  afternoon,  with  my  mail 
and  paper,  I  sought  secluded  nooks  in  a  somewhat 
distant  grove,  which  I  reached  by  the  shady  lane,  of 
which  I  had  caught  a  glimpse  with  Miss  Warren  on 
the  first  evening  of  my  arrival.  But  Friday  after 
noon  was  too  hot  for  the  walk  thither.  The  banker 
had  wilted  and  retired  to  his  room.  Adah  and  the 
children  were  out  under  a  tree.  The  girl  looked  up 
wistfully  and  invitingly  as  I  came  out. 

;<  I  wish   I   were  an  artist,  Miss  Adah,"  I  cried. 
'  You  three  make  a  lovely  picture." 

Remembering  an  arbor  at  the  farther  end  of  the 
garden,  I  turned  my  steps  thither,  passing  rapidly 
by  the  spot  where  I  had  seen  my  Eve  who  was  not 
mine. 

.1  had  entered  the  arbor  before  I  saw  it  was  occu 
pied,  and  was  surprised  by  the  vivid  blush  with 
which  Miss  Warren  greeted  me. 

Pardon  me,"  I  said,  "  I  did  not  know  you  were 
here,"  and  I  was  about  to  depart,  with  the  best  at 
tempt  at  a  smile  that  I  could  muster. 

She  sprang  up  and  asked,  a  little  indignantly, 
"  Am  I  infected  with  a  pestilence  that  you  so  avoid 
me,  Mr.  Morton  ?" 

"  Oh,  no,"  I   replied,  with  a  short,  grim   laugh  ; 


POOR  ACTING.  313 

"  if  it  were  only  a  pestilence —     I  fear  I  disturbed 
your  nap  ;  but  you  know  I'm  a  born  blunderer." 

"  You  said  we  should  be  friends,"  she  began  hesi 
tatingly. 

"  Do  you  doubt  it  ?"  I  asked  gravely.  *  Do  you 
doubt  that  I  would  hesitate  at  any  sacrifice — ?" 

44  I  don't  want  sacrifices.  I  wish  to  see  you 
happy,  and  your  manner  natural." 

"  I'm  sure  I've  been  cheerful  during  the  past 
week. 

44  No,  you  have  only  seemed  cheerful  ;  and  often 
I've  seen  you  look  as  grim,  hard,  and  stern  as  if  you 
were  on  the  eve  of  mortal  combat." 
4  You  observe  closely,  Miss  Warren." 

44  Why  should  I  not  observe  closely  ?  Do  you 
think  me  inhuman  ?  Can  I  forget  what  I  owe  you, 
and  that  you  nearly  died  ?" 

M  Well,"  I  said  dejectedly,  4<  what  can  I  do  ?  It 
seems  that  I  have  played  the  hypocrite  all  the  week 
in  vain.  I  will  do  whatever  you  ask." 

14  I  was  in  hopes  that  as  you  grew  well  and  strong 
you  would  throw  off  this  folly.  Have  you  not 
enough  manhood  to  overcome  it  ?" 

44  No,  Miss  Warren,"  I  said  bluntly,  4<  I  have  not. 
What  little  manhood  I  had  led  to  this  very  thing." 

44  Such — such — " 

44  Enthrallment,  you  may  call  it." 

44  No,  I  will  not  ;  it's  a  degrading  word.  I  would 
not  have  a  slave  if  I  could." 

44  Since  I  can't  help  it,  I  don't  see  how  you  can. 
I  may  have  been  a  poor  actor,  but  I  know  I've  not 
been  obtrusive." 


3'4  A  DAY  OF  FATE. 

'  You  have  not  indeed,"  she  replied  a  little  bit 
terly  ;  "  but  you  have  no  cause  for  such  feelings. 
They  seem  to  me  unnatural,  and  the  result  of  amor- 
bid  mind." 

'  Yes,  you  have  thought  me  very  ill  balanced 
from  the  first  ;  but  I'm  constrained  to  use  such  poor 
wits  as  I  possess.  In  the  abstract  it  strikes  me  as 
not  irrational  to  recognize  embodied  truth  and  love 
liness,  and  I  do  not  think  the  less  of  myself  because 
I  reached  such  recognition  in  hours  rather  than  in 
months.  I  saw  your  very  self  in  this  old  garden, 
and  every  subsequent  day  has  confirmed  that  im 
pression.  But  there's  no  use  in  wasting  words  in 
explanation — I  don't  try  to  explain  it  to  myself. 
But  the  fact  is  clear  enough.  By  some  necessity  of 
my  nature,  it  is  just  as  it  is.  I  can  no  more  help  it 
than  I  can  help  breathing.  It  was  inevitable.  My 
only  chance  was  never  meeting  you.  and  yet  I  can 
scarcely  wish  that  even  now.  Perhaps  you  think 
I've  not  tried,  since  I  learned  I  ought  to  banish  your 
image,  but  I  have  struggled  as  if  I  were  engaged  in 
a  mortal  combat,  as  you  suggested.  But  it's  of  no 
use.  I  can't  deceive  you  any  more  than  I  can 
myself.  Now  you  know  the  whole  truth,  and  it 
seems  that  there  is  no  escaping  it  in  our  experience. 
I  do  not  expect  anything.  I  ask  nothing  save  that 
you  accept  the  happiness  which  is  your  perfect 
right  ;  for  not  a  shadow  of  blame  rests  on  you.  If 
you  were  not  happy  I  should  be  only  tenfold  more 
wretched.  But  I've  no  right  to  speak  to  you  in 
this  way.  I  see  I've  caused  you  much  pain  ;  I've 
no  right  even  to  look  at  you  feeling  as  I  do.  I 


POOR  ACTING.  315 

would  have  gone  before,  were  it  not  for  hurting 
Mrs.  Yocomb's  feelings.  I  shall  return  to  New 
York  next  Monday  ;  for — 

"  Return  to  New  York  !"  she  repeated,  with  a 
sudden  and  deep  breath  ;  and  she  became  very 
pale.  After  a  second  she  added  hastily,  "  You  are 
not  strong  enough  yet  ;  we  are  the  ones  to  go." 

"  Miss  Warren,"  I  said,  almost  sternly,  "  it's  lit 
tle  that  I  ask  of  you  or  that  you  can  give.  I  may 
not  have  deceived  you,  but  I  have  the  others.  Mrs. 
Yocomb  knows  ;  but  she  is  as  merciful  as  my  own 
mother  would  have  been.  I'm  not  ashamed  of  my 
love — I'm  proud  of  it  ;  but  it's  too  sacred  a  thing, 
and — well,  if  you  can't  understand  me  I  can't  ex 
plain.  All  I  ask  is  that  you  seem  indifferent  to  my 
course  beyond  ordinary  friendliness.  There  !  God 
bless  you  for  your  patient  kindness  ;  I  will  not  tres 
pass  on  it  longer.  You  have  the  best  and  kindest 
heart  of  any  woman  in  the  world.  Why  don't  you 
exult  a  little  over  your  conquest  ?  It's  complete 
enough  to  satisfy  the  most  insatiable  coquette. 
Don't  look  so  sacl.  I'll  be  your  merry -hearted 
friend  yet  before  I'm  eighty." 

But  my  faint  attempt  at  lightness  was  a  speedy 
failure,  for  my  strong  passion  broke  out  irresistibly. 
O  God  !"  I  exclaimed,  "  how  beautiful  you  are 
to  me  !  When  shall  I  forget  the  look  in  your  kind, 
true  eyes?  But  I'm  disgracing  myself  again.  I've 
no  right  to  speak  to  you.  I  wish  I  could  never  see 
you  again  till  my  heart  had  become  stone  and  my 
will  like  steel  ;"  arid  I  turned  and  walked  swiftly 
away  until,  from  sheer  exhaustion,  I  threw  myself 


31-6  A   DAY  OF  FATE. 

under  a  tree  and  buried  my  face  in  my  hands,  for 
I  hated  the  warm,  sunny  light,  when  my  life  was 
so  cheerless  and  dark. 

I  lay  almost  as  if  I  were  dead  for  hours,  and  the 
evening  was  growing  dusky  when  I  arose  and 
wearily  returned  to  the  farmhouse.  They  were  all 
on  the  veranda  except  Miss  Warren,  who  was  at 
her  piano  again.  Mrs.  Yocomb  met  me  with  much/ 
solicitude. 

"  Reuben  was  just  starting  out  to  look  for  thee," 
she  said. 

"  I  took  a  longer  ramble  than  I  realized,"  I  re 
plied,  with  a  laugh.  "  I  think  I  lost  myself  a  little. 
I  don't  deserve  any  supper,  and  only  want  a  cup 
of  tea."  Miss  Warren  played  very  softly  fora  mo 
ment,  and  I  knew  she  was  listening  to  my  lame  ex 
cuses. 

"It  doesn't  matter  what  thee  wants  ;  I  know 
what  thee  needs.  Thee  isn't  out  of  my  hands  alto 
gether  yet  ;  come  right  into  the  dining-room." 

"  I  should  think  you  would  be  slow  to  revolt 
against  such  a  benign  government,"  remarked  Mr. 
Hearn  most  graciously,  and  the  thought  occurred 
to  me  that  he  was  not  displeased  to  have  me  out  of 
the  way  so  long. 

1  Yes,  indeed,"  chimed  in  Mr.  Yocomb  ;  "  we're 
always  all  the  better  for  minding  mother.  Thee'll 
find  that  out,  Richard,  after  thee's  been  here  a  few- 
weeks  longer." 

"  Mr.  Yocomb,  you're  loyalty  itself.  If  women 
ever  get  their  rights,  our  paper  will  nominate  Mis, 
Yocomb  for  President." 


POOR   ACTING.  317 

"  I've  all  the  rights  I  want  now,  Richard,  and 
I've  the  right  to  scold  thee  for  not  taking  better 
care  of  thyself." 

"  I'll  submit  to  anything  from  you.  You  are 
wiser  than  the  advanced  female  agitators,  for  you 
know  you've  all  the  power  now,  and  that  we  men 
are  always  at  your  mercy." 

'  Well,  now  that  thee  talks  of  mercy,  I  won't 
scold  thee,  but  give  thee  thy  supper  at  once." 

'  Thee  always  knew,  Richard,  how  to  get  around 
mother,"  laughed  the  genial  old  man,  whose  life 
ever  seemed  as  mellow  and  ripe  as  a  juicy  Fall  pip 
pin. 

Adah  followed  her  mother  in  to  assist  her,  and  I 
saw  that  Miss  Warren  had  turned  toward  us. 

'  Why,  Richard  Morton  !"    exclaimed  Mrs.  Yo- 

comb,     as    I    entered    the     lighted     dining-room. 

'  Thee  looks  as  pale  and  haggard  as  a  ghost.    Thee 

must  have  got  lost  indeed  and  gone  far  beyond  thy 

strength." 

"  Can — can  I  do  anything  to  assist  you,  Mrs. 
Yocomb, "  asked  a  timid  voice  from  the  doorway. 

I  was  glad  that  Adah  was  in  the  kitchen  for 
the  moment,  for  I  lost  at  once  my  ghostly  pallor. 
'  Yes,"  said  Mrs.  Yocomb  heartily,  "  come  in  and 
make  this  man  eat,  and  scold  him  soundly  for  going 
so  far  away  as  to  get  lost  when  he's  scarcely  able  to 
walk  at  all.  I've  kind  of  promised  I  wouldn't  scold 
him,  and  somebody  must." 

'  I'd  scold  like  Xantippe  if  I  thought  it  would 
do  any  good,"  she  said,  with  a  faint  smile  ;  but  her 
eyes  were  full  of  reproach.  For  a  moment  Mrs. 


;    >  A   DAY  OF  FATS. 

Yocomb  disappeared  behind  the  door  of  her  china 
closet,  and  arren  added*  in  a  low,  hurried 

whisper  to  me,  '  *  You  promised  me  to  get  well  ; 
you  are  not  keeping  your  word." 

k"  That  cuts  worse  than  anything  Xantippe  cou  Id 
have  said." 

"  I  don't  want  to  cut,  but  to  cure/* 

*  Then  become  the  opposite  of  what  you  are  ; 
that  would  cure  me/' 

i  such  a  motive  I'm  tempted  to  try,"  she 
said,  with  a  half-reckless  laugh,  for  Adah  was  enter 
ing  with  some  delicate  toa- 

**  Miss  Adah/"  I  cried.  "  I  owe  you  a  supper  at 
the  Brunswick  for  this,  and  Til  pay  my  debt  the 
first  chance  you'll  give  me/' 

'*  If  thee  talks  of  paying,  I'll  not  go  with  thee/' 
she  said,  a  little  coldly  ;  and  she  seemingly  did  not 
like  the  presence  of  Miss  Warren  nor  the  tell-tale 
color  in  my  cheeks. 

*  That's  a  deserved  rebuke,  Miss  Adah.     I  know 
well  enough  that  I  can  never  repay  all  your  kind 
ness,  and  so  I  won't  try.     But  you'll  go  with  me 
because  I  want  you  to.  and  because  I  will  be  proud 
of  your  company.     I   shall  be  the  envy  of  all  the 
gentlemen  present." 

"They'd  think  me  very  rustic,"  she  said,  smil 
ing. 

"Quite  as  much  so  as  a  moss-rose.  But  you'll 
see.  I  will  be  besieged  the  n  days  by  my 

acquaintances  for  an  introduction,  and  my  account 
of  you  will  make  them  wild.  I  shall  be.  however, 
a  very  dragon  of  a  big  brother,  and- won't  let  one  of 


PUOK   AC77ATU  319 

them  come  near  you  who  is  not  a  saint — that  is,  as 
far  as  I  am  a  judge  of  the  article." 

'  Thee  may  keep  them  all  away  if  thee  pleases," 
she  replied,  blushing  and  laughing.  "  I  should  be 
afraid  of  thy  fine  city  friends." 

"I'm  afraid  of  a  good  many  of  them  myself,"  I 
replied  ;    "  but   some  are  genuine,   and   you    shall 
6  a  good  time,  never  fear." 
I'll   leave   you   to  arrange  the  details  of  your 
brilliant  campaign,"  said  Miss  Warren,  smiling. 

"  But  thee  hasn't  scolded  Richard,"  said  Mrs. 
Yocomb,  who  was  seemingly  busy  about  the  room. 

"  My  words  would  have  no  weight.  He  knows 
he  ought  to  be  ashamed  of  himself,"  she  answered 
from  the  doorway. 

14  I  am,  heartily,"  I  said,  looking  into  her  eyes  a 
moment. 

"  Since  he's  penitent,  Mrs.  Yocomb,  I  don't  see 
as  anything  more  can  be  done."  she  replied  smil 
ingly. 

I  don't  think  much  of  penitence  unless  it's  fol 
lowed  by  reformation,"  said  my  sensible  hostess. 
'  We'll  see  how  he  behaves  the  next  few  weeks." 

"  Mr.  Morton,  I  hope  you  will  let  Mrs.  Yocomb 
see  a  daily  change  for  the  better  for  a  long  time  to 
come.  She  deserves  it  at  your  hands,"  and  there 
was  almost  entreaty  in  the  young  girl's  voice. 

"  She  ought  to  know  better  than  to  ask  it,"  I 
thought,  but  my  only  answer  was  a  henvy  frown, 
and  I  turned  abruptly  away  from  her  appealing 
glance. 

"  I  think    Emily   Warren  acts  very  queer,"   said 


320  A    DAY  OF  FA  TE. 

Adah,  after  the  young  lady  had  gone  ;  "  she's  at 
her  piano  half  the  time,  and  I  know  from  her  eyes 
that  she's  been  crying  this  afternoon.  If  ever  a 
girl  was  engaged  to  a  good,  kind  man,  who  would 
give  her  everything,  she  is.  I  don't  see — ' 

"  Adah,"  interrupted  her  mother,  "  I  hoped  thee 
was  overcoming  that  trait.  It's  not  a  pleasing  one. 
If  people  give  us  their  confidence,  very  well  ;  if  not, 
we  should  be  blind." 

The  girl  blushed  vividly,  and  looked  deprecat- 
ingly  at  me. 

'  You  meant  nothing  ill-natured,  Miss  Adah,"  I 
said  gently;  "  it  isn't  in  you.  Come,  now,  and  let 
me  tell  you  and  your  mother  what  a  good  time  I'm 
planning  for  you  in  New  York,"  and  we  soon  made 
the  old  dining-room  ring  with  our  laughter.  Mr. 
Yocornb,  Reuben,  and  the  children  soon  joined  us, 
and  the  lovers  were  left  alone  on  the  shadowy  porch. 
From  the  gracious  manner  of  Mr.  Hearn  the  fol 
lowing  morning,  I  think  he  rather  thanked  me  for 
drawing  off  the  embarrassing  third  parties. 


CHAPTER    XII. 

THE    HOPE    OF   A    HIDDEN    TREASURE. 

THE  next  day  I  lured  Reuben  off  on  a  fishing 
excursion  to  a  mountain  lake,  and  so  congratu 
lated  myself  on  escaping  ordeals  to  which  I  found 
myself  wholly  unequal.  We  did  not  reach  the  farm 
house  till  quite  late  in  the  evening,  and  found  that 
Mr.  Hearn  and  Miss  Warren  were  out  enjoying  a 
moonlight  ride.  As  on  the  previous  evening,  all 
the  family  gathered  around  Reuben  and  me  as 
we  sat  down  to  our  late  supper,  the  little  girls  ar 
ranging  with  delight  the  sylvan  spoil  that  I  had 
brought  them.  They  were  all  so  genial  and  kind 
that  I  grieved  to  think  that  I  had  but  one  more 
evening  with  them,  and  I  thought  of  my  cheerless 
quarters  in  New  York  with  an  inward  shiver. 

Before  very  long  Mr.  Hearn  entered  with  Miss 
Warren,  and  the  banker  was  in  fine  spirits. 

'The  moonlit  landscapes  were  divine,"  he  said. 
'  Never  have   I  seen   them  surpassed — not  even  in 
Europe." 

It  was  evident  that  his  complacency  was  not  easily 
disturbed,  for  I  thought  that  a  more  sympathetic 
lover  would  have  noted  that  his  companion  was  not 
so  enthusiastic  as  himself.  Indeed  Miss  Warren 
seemed  to  bring  in  with  her  the  cold  pale  moon 
light.  Her  finely-chiseled  oval  face  looked  white 


322  A   DAY  OF  FATE. 

and  thin  as  if  she  were  chilled,  and  I  noticed  that 
she  shivered  as  she  entered. 

"  Come,"  cried  Mr.  Yocomb  in  his  hearty  way  ; 
"  Emily,  thee  and  Mr.  Hearn  have  had  thy  fill  of 
moonlight,  dew,  and  such  like  unsubstantial  stuff. 
I'm  going  to  give  you  both  a  generous  slice  of  cold 
i oast-beef.  That's  what  makes  good  red  blood  ; 
and  Emily,  thee  looks  as  if  thee  needed  a  little  more. 
Then  I  want  to  see  if  we  cannot  provoke  thee  to 
one  of  thy  old-time  laughs.  Seems  to  me  we've 
missed  it  a  little  of  late.  Thy  .laugh  beats  all  thy 
music  at  the  piano." 

'Yes,  Emily,"  said  Mr.  Hearn  a  little  discon 
tentedly,  "  I  think  you  are  growing  rather  quiet  and 
distraite  of  late.  When  have  I  heard  one  of  your 
genuine,  mirthful  laughs?" 

With  a  sudden  wonder  my  mind  took  up  his  ques 
tion.  When  had  I  heard  her  laugh,  whose  conta 
gious  joyousness  was  so  infectious  that  I,  too,  had 
laughed  without  knowing  why.  I  now  remembered 
that  it  was  before  he  came  ;  it  was  that  morning 
when  my  memory,  more  kind  than  my  fate,  still 
refused  to  reveal  the  disappointment  that  now  was 
crushing  my  very  soul  ;  it  was  when  all  in  the 
farm-house  were  so  glad  at  my  assured  recovery. 
Reuben  had  said  that  she  was  like  a  lark  that  day — - 
that  she  equalled  Dapple  in  her  glad  life.  I  could 
recall  no  such  day  since,  though  her  lover  was  pres 
ent,  and  her  happiness  assured.  Even  he  was  be 
ginning  to  note  that  the  light  of  his  countenance 
did  not  illumine  her  face — that  she  was  "  quiet  and 
distraite. ' ' 


THE  HOPE  OF  A  HIDDEN  TREASURE.        323 

Man-like,  I  had  to  think  it  all  out,  but  I  thought 
swiftly.  The  echo  of  his  words  had  scarcely  died 
away  before  the  light  of  a  great  hope  flashed  into 
my  face  as  my  whole  heart  put  the  question, 

"  Can  it  be  only  sympathy  ?" 

She  met  my  eager  glance  shrinkingly.  I  felt 
almost  as  if  my  life  depended  on  the  answer  that 
she  might  consciously  or  unconsciously  give.  Why 
did  she  fall  into  painful  and  even  piteous  confusion  ? 

But  her  maidenly  pride  and  strong  character  at 
once  asserted  themselves,  for  she  arose  quietly,  say 
ing,  "  I  do  not  feel  well  this  evening,"  and  she  left 
the  room. 

Mr.  Hearn  followed  precipitately,  and  was  pro 
fuse  in  his  commiseration. 

I  shall  be  well  in  the  morning,"  she  said,  with 
such  clear,  confident  emphasis  that  it  occurred  to 
me  that  the  assurance  was  not  meant  for  his  ears 
only  ;  then,  in  spite  of  his  entreaties,  she  went  to 
her  room. 

I  wanted  no  more  supper,  and  made  a  poor  pre 
tence  of  keeping  Reuben  company,  and  I  thought 
his  boy's  appetite  never  would  be  satisfied.  My 
mind  was  in  such  a  tumult  of  hope  and  fear  that  I 
had  to  strive  with  my  whole  strength  for  self-mas 
tery,  so  as  to  excite  no  surmises.  Mrs.  Vocomb 
gave  me  a  few  inquiring  glances,  thinking,  perhaps, 
that  I  was  showing  more  solicitude  about  Miss  War 
ren  than  was  wise  ;  but  in  fact  they  were  all  so  sim 
ple-hearted,  so  accustomed  to  express  all  they 
thought  and  felt,  that  they  were  not  inclined  to 
search  for  hidden  and  subtle  motives.  Even  feign- 


3- -I  A    DAY   OF  FATE. 

ing  more  bungling  than  mine  would  have  kept  my 
secret  from  them.  Adah  seemed  relieved  at  Miss 
Warren's  departure.  Mr.  II earn  lighted  a  cigar 
and  sat  down  on  the  piazza  ;  as  soon  as  possible  I 
i -leaded  fatigue  and  retired  to  my  room,  for  I  was 
•  igcr  to  be  alone  that  I  might,  unwatched,  look  with 
i  jar  ful  yet  glistening  eyes  on  the  trace  I  had  dis 
covered  of  an  infinite  treasure. 

I  again  sat  down  by  the  window  and  looked  into 
the  old  garden.  The  possibility  that  the  woman 
that  I  had  there  seen,  undisguised  in  her  beautiful 
truth,  might  be  drawing  near  me,  under  an  impulse 
too  strong  to  be  resisted,  thrilled  my  very  soul. 
"  It's  contrary  to  reason,  to  every  law  in  nature,"  I 
said,  "  that  she  should  attract  me  with  such  tremen 
dous  gravitation,  and  yet  my  love  have  no  counter 
action." 

"  And  yet,"  I  murmured,  "  beware— beware  how 
you  hope.  Possibly  she  is  merely  indisposed.  It 
is  more  probable  that  her  feelings  toward  you  are 
those  of  gratitude  only  and  of  deep  sympathy.  She 
is  under  the  impression  that  you  saved  her  life,  and 
t'.iat  she  has  unwittingly  blighted  yours  ;  and,  as 
.-Irs.  Yocomb  said,  she  is  so  kind-hearted,  so  sensi 
tive,  that  the  thought  shadows  her  life  and  robs  it 
v  f  zest  and  happiness.  You  cannot  know  that  she 
* ,  learning  to  return  your  love  in  spite  of  herself, 
simply  because  she  is  pale  and  somewhat  sad. 
She  would  think  herself,  as  she  said,  inhuman  if  she 
were  happy  and  serene.  I  must  seek  for  other 
tests;  and  I  thought  long  and  deeply.  4<  O  Will 
Shakespeare  !"  I  at  last  murmured,  "  you  knew  the 


THE  HOPE  OF  A  HIDDEN  TREASURE.        325 

human    heart,   if   any    one  ever  did.     I  remember 
now  that  you  wrote  : 

"  '  A  murd'rous  guilt  shows  not  itself  more  soon 
Than  love  that  would  seem  hid.'  " 

"  Oh  for  the  eyes  of  Argus.  If  all  the  mines  of 
wealth  in  the  world  were  uncovered,  and  I  might 
have  them  all  for  looking,  I'd  turn  away  for  one  clear 
glimpse  into  her  woman's  heart  to-night.  Go  to 
New  York  on  Monday  !  No,  not  unless  driven  away 
with  a  whip  of  scorpions.  No  eagle  that  ever 
circled  those  skies  watched  as  I'll  stay  and  watch 
for  the  faintest  trace  of  this  priceless  secret.  No 
detective,  stimulated  by  professional  pride  and 
vast  reward,  ever  sought  proof  of  '  murd'rous  guilt  ' 
as  I  shall  seek  for  evidences  of  this  pure  woman's 
love,  for  more  than  life  depends  on  the  result  of  my 
quest." 

Words  like  these  would  once  have  seemed  ex 
travagant  and  absurd,  but  in  the  abandon  of  my 
solitude  and  in  my  strong  excitement  they  but  in 
adequately  expressed  the  thoughts  that  surged 
through  my  mind.  But  as  I  grew  calmer,  Con 
science  asked  to  be  heard. 

1  Just  what  do  you  propose  ?"  it  asked  ;  "to  win 
her  from  another,  who  now  has  every  right  to  her 
allegiance  and  love  ?  Change  places,  and  how  would 
you  regard  the  man  who  sought  to  supplant  you  ? 
You  cannot  win  happiness  at  the  expense  of  your 
honor." 

Then  Reason  added,  with  quiet  emphasis,  "  Even 
though  your  conscience  is  not  equal  to  the  emer- 


326  A    DA  V  OF  FATE. 

gency,  hers  will  be.  She  will  do  what  seems  right 
without  any  regard  for  the  consequences.  If  you 
sought  to  woo  her  now,  she  would  despise  you  ; 
she  would  regard  it  as  an  insult  that  she  would 
never  forgive.  It  would  appear  proof  complete 
that  you  doubted  her  truth,  her  chief  character 
istic." 

Between  them  they  made  so  strong  a  case  against 
me  that  my  heart  sank  at  the  prospect.  But  hope 
is  the  lever  that  moves  the  world  onward,  and  the 
faint  hope  that  had  dawned  on  my  thick  night  was 
too  dear  and  bright  a  one  to  leave  me  crushed  again 
by  my  old  despondency,  and  I  felt  that  there  must 
be  some  way  of  untangling  the  problem.  If  the 
wall  of  honor  hedged  me  in  on  every  side,  I  would 
knoiv  the  fact  to  be  true  before  I  accepted  it. 

"  I  do  not  propose  to  woo  her,"  I  argued  ;  and 
possibly  my  good  resolution  was  strengthened  by 
the  knowledge  that  such  a  course  would  be  fatal  to 
my  hope  ;''  I  only  intend  to  discover  what  may 
possibly  exist.  I  never  have  intentionally  sought  to 
influence  her,  even  by  a  glance,  since  I  knew  of 
her  relation  to  Mr.  Hearn.  I'm  under  no  obliga 
tion  to  this  prosperous  banker  ;  I'm  only  bound  by 
honor  in  the  abstract.  They  are  not  married. 
Mrs.  Yocomb  would  say  that  I  had  been  brought 
hither  by  an  overruling  Providence — -it  certainly 
was  not  a  conscious  choice  of  mine — and  since  I 
met  this  maiden  everything  has  conspired  to  bring 
me  to  my  present  position.  I  know  I'm  not  to 
blame  for  it — no  more  than  I  was  for  the  storm  or 
the  lightning  bolt.  What  a  clod  I  should  be  were 


TltR  HOPE  OF  A  HIDDEN  TREASURE.        327 

I  indifferent  to  the  traits  that  she  has  manifested  ! 
I  feel  with  absolute  certainty  that  I  cannot  help 
the  impression  that  she  has  made  on  me.  If  I 
could  have  foreseen  it  all,  I  might  have  remained 
away  ;  but  I  was  led  hither,  and  kept  here  by  my 
illness  till  my  chains  are  riveted  and  locked,  and 
the  key  is  lost.  I  cannot  escape  the  fact  that  I  be 
long  to  her,  body  and  soul. 

Now  suppose,  for  the  sake  of  argument,  that 
gratitude,  respect,  friendliness,  a  sense  of  being  un 
protected  and  alone  in  the  world,  have  led  to  her 
engagement  with  the  wealthy,  middle-aged  banker, 
and  that  through  it  all  her  woman's  heart  was  never 
awakened  :  such  a  thing  at  least  is  possible.  If  this 
were  true,  she  would  be  no  more  to  blame  than  I, 
and  we  might  become  the  happy  victims  of  circum 
stances.  I'm  not  worthy  of  her,  and  never  shall  be, 
but  I  can't  help  that  either.  After  all,  it  seems  to 
me  that  that  which  should  fulfil  my  hope  is  not  a 
ledger  balance  of  good  qualities,  but  the  magnetic 
sympathy  of  two  natures  that  supplement  each 
other,  and  were  designed  for  each  other  in  Heaven's 
match-making:  Even  no\v  my  best  hope  is  based 
on  the  truth  that  she  attracts  me  so  irresistibly,  and 
though  a  much  smaher  body  morally,  I  should  have 
some  corresponding  attraction  for  her.  If  her 
woman's  heart  has  become  mine,  what  can  she  give 
him  ?  Her  very  truth  may  become  my  most  power 
ful  ally.  If  she  still  loves  him,  I  will  go  away  and 
stay  away  ;  if  it  be  in  accordance  with  my  trem 
bling  hope,  I  have  the  higher  right,  and  I  will  assert 
it  to  the  utmost  extent  of  my  power.  Shall  the 


328  A    DAY  OF  FATE. 

happiness  of  two  lives  be  sacrificed  to  his  unflagging 
prosperity  ?  Could  it  ever  be  right  for  him  to  lead 
her  body  to  the  altar  and  leave  her  heart  with  me  ? 
Could  she,  who  is  truth  itself,  go  there  and  perjure 
herself  before  God  and  man  ?  No  !  a  thousand 
times  no  !  It  has  become  a  simple  question  of  whom 
she  loves,  and  I'll  find  out  if  Shakespeare's  words 
are  true.  If  she  has  love  for  me,  let  her  bury  it 
never  so  deeply,  my  love  will  be  the  divining. rod 
that  will  inevitably  discover  it. 

Having  reached  this  conclusion,  I  at  last  slept, 
in  the  small  hours  of  the  night. 

I  thought  I  detected  something  like  apprehen 
sion  in  her  eyes  when  I  met  her  in  the  morning. 
Was  she  conscious  of  a  secret  that  might  reveal 
itself  in  spite  of  her?  But  she  was  cheerful  and 
decided  in  her  manner,  and  seemed  bent  on  assur 
ing  Mr.  Hearri  that  she  was  well  again,  and  all  that 
he  could  desire. 

Were  I  in  mortal  peril  I  could  not  have  been 
more  vigilantly  on  my  guard.  Not  for  the  world 
would  I  permit  her  to  know  what  was  passing  in  my 
mind — at  least  not  yet — and  as  far  as  possible  I  re 
sumed  my  old  manner.  I  even  simulated  more  de 
jection  than  I  felt,  to  counterbalance  the  flash  of 
hope  that  I  feared  she  had  recognized  on  the  pre 
vious  evening. 

I  well  knew  that  all  her  woman's  strength,  that 
all  her  woman's  pride  and  exalted  sense  of  honor 
would  bind  her  to  him,  who  was  serenely  secure  in 
his  trust.  My  one  hope  was  that  her  woman's 

mv  allv  :    that  it  wniilrl   nrnvf*    tVi<=>  <?frnncr- 


THE  HOPE  OF  A  HIDDEN  TREASURE.         329 

est  ;  that  it  would  so  assert  itself  that  truth  and 
honor  would  at  last  range  themselves  on  its  side. 
Little  did  the  simple,  frank  old  Quaker  realize  the 
passionate  alternations  of  hope  and  fear  that  I 
brought  to  his  breakfast-table  that  bright  Sunday. 

All  that  my  guarded  scrutiny  could  gather  was 
lh.it  Miss  Warren  was  a  little  too  devoted  and 
thoughtful  of  her  urbane  lover,  and  that  her  cheer 
fulness  lacked  somewhat  in  spontaneity. 

It  was  agreed  at  the  breakfast- table  that  we 
should  all  go  to  meeting. 

?\Irs.  Yocomb,"  I  said,  finding  her  alone  fora 
moment,  '*  won't  you  be  moved  this  morning?  I 
need  one  of  your  sermons  more  than  any  heathen 
in  Africa.  Whatever  your  faith  is,  I  believe  in  it, 
for  I've  seen  its  fruits." 

"  If  a  message  is  given  to  me  I  will  not  be 
silent  ;  if  not,  it  would  be  presumptuous  to  speak. 
But  my  prayer  is  that  the  Spirit  whom  we  worship 
may  speak  to  thee,  and  that  thou  wilt  listen.  Un 
less  He  speaks,  my  poor  words  would  be  of  no 
avail." 

'  You  are  a  mystery  to  me,  Mrs.  Yocomb,  with 
vour  genial  homely  farm  life  here,  and  your  mys 
tical  spiritual  heights  at  the  meeting-house.  You 
seem  to  go  from  the  kitchen  by  easy  and  natural 
transition  to  regions  beyond  the  stars,  and  to  pass 
without  hesitancy  from  the  companionship  of  us 
poor  mortals  into  a  Presence  that  is  to  me  supreme 
ly  awful." 

*  Thee  doesn't  understand,  Richard.  The  little 
faith  I  have  I  take  with  me  to  the  kitchen,  and 


A    DA  Y   US'  1-ATE. 

I'm  not  afraid  of  my  Father  in  heaven  because  he 
is  so  great  and  I'm  so  little.  Is  Zillah  afraid  of  her 
father?" 

I  suppose  you  are  right,  and  I  admit  that  I 
don't  understand,  and  I  don't  see  how  I  could 
reason  it  out. " 

"  God's  children,"  she  replied,  "as  all  children, 
come  to  believe  many  blessed  truths  without  the 
aid  of  reason.  It  was  not  reason  that  taught  me 
my  mother's  love,  and  yet,  now  that  I  have  chil 
dren,  it  seems  very  reasonable.  I  think  I  learned 
most  from  what  she  said  to  me  and  did  for  me. 
If  ever  children  were  assured  of  love  by  their 
Heavenly  Father,  we  have  been  ;  if  it  is  possible 
for  a  human  soul  to  be  touched  by  loving,  unselfish 
devotion,  let  him  read  the  story  of  Christ." 

"  But,  Mrs.  Yocomb,  I'm  not  one  of  the  chil 
dren." 

'  Yes,  thee  is.  The  trouble  with  thee  is  that 
thee's  ashamed,  or  at  least  that  thee  won't  acknowl 
edge  the  relation,  and  be  true  to  it." 

"  Dear  Mrs.  Yocomb,"  I  cried  in  dismay,  "  I  must 
either  renounce  heathenism  or  get  away  from  your 
influence,"  and  I  left  precipitately. 

But  in  truth  I  was  too  far  gone  in  human  idolatry 
to  think  long  upon  her  words  ;  they  lodged  in  my 
memory,  however,  and  I  trust  will  never  lose  their 
influence. 


CHAPTER    XIII. 

THE   OLD    MEETIXG-HOUSE   AGAIN. 

REUBEN  and  It  with  Dapple,  skimmed  along  the 
country  roads,  and  my  hope  and  spirits  kin 
dled,  though  I  scarcely  knew  why.  We  were  early 
at  the  meeting-house,  and,  to  my  joy,  I  gained  my 
old  seat,  in  which  I  had  woven  my  June  day-dream 
around  the  fair  unknown  Quakeress  whose  face  was 
now  that  of  a  loved  sister.  What  ages,  seemingly, 
had  elapsed  since  that  fateful  day  !  What  infinite 
advances  in  life's  experiences  I  had  made  since  I 
last  sat  there.  How  near  I  had  come  to  the  expe 
riences  of  another  life  !  The  fact  made  me  grave 
and  thoughtful.  And  yet,  if  my  fear  and  not  my 
hope  were  realized,  what  a  burden  was  imposed  upon 
me  with  the  life  that  disease  had  spared  !  Had  I 
even  Mrs.  Yocomb's  faith,  I  knew  it  would  be  a 
weight  under  which  I  would  often  stagger  and  faint. 
Before  very  long  the  great  family  rockaway  un 
loaded  its  precious  freight  at  the  horse-block,  and 
Adah  and  Miss  Warren  entered,  followed  by  the 
little  girls.  In  secret  wonder  I  saw  Adah  pause  be 
fore  the  same  long,  straight-backed  bench  or  pe\v, 
and  Miss  Warren  take  the  place  where  I  had  first 
seen  my  "embodiment  of  June."  Mrs.  Yocomb 
went  quietly  to  her  place  on  the  high  scat. 

'  The  spell   continues  to  work,   but  with  an  im 
portant  change,"  I  thought. 


332  A    DAY   OF  FA  TE. 

In  a  few  moments  Mr.  Yocomb  marshalled  in 
Mr.  Hearn,  and  placed  him  in  the  end  of  the  pew 
next  to  Miss  Warren  on  the  men's  side,  so  that 
they  might  have  the  satisfaction  of  sitting  together, 
as  if  at  church.  He  then  looked  around  for  me  ; 
but  I  shook  my  head,  and  would  not  go  up  higher. 

Soon  all  the  simple,  plainly  apparelled  folk 
who  would  attend  that  day  were  in  their  places, 
and  the  old  deep  hush  that  I  so  well  remem 
bered  settled  down  upon  us.  The  sweet  low 
monotone  of  the  summer  wind  was  playing  still 
among  the  maples.  I  do  believe  that  it  was  the 
same  old  bumble-bee  that  darted  in,  still  unable  to 
overcome  its  irate  wonder  at  a  people  who  could  be 
so  quiet  and  serene.  The  sunlight  flickered  in  here 
and  there,  and  shadowy  leaves  moved  noiselessly 
up  and  down  the  whitewashed  wall.  Only  the  occa 
sional  song  of  a  bird  was  wanting  to  reproduce  the 
former  hour,  but  at  this  later  season  the  birds 
seem  content  with  calls  and  chirpings,  and  in  the 
July  heat  they  were  almost  as  silent  as  we  were. 

But  how  weak  and  fanciful  my  June  day-dream 
now  seemed.  Then  woman's  influence  on  my  life 
was  but  a  romantic  sentiment.  I  had  then  conjured 
up  a  pretty  vista  full  of  serene,  quiet  domestic  joys, 
which  were  to  be  a  solace  merely  of  my  real  life  of 
toil  and  ambition.  I  had  thought  myself  launched 
on  a  shining  tide  that  would  bear  me  smoothly  to 
a  quiet  home  anchorage  ;  but  almost  the  first  word 
that  Emily  Warren  spoke  broke  the  spell  of  my 
complacent,  indolent  dream,  and  I  awoke  to  the 


THE    OLD    MEETING-HOUSE   AGAIN.  333 

was  my  peer,  and  in  many  respects  rny  superior  ; 
whom,  so  far  from  being  a  mere  household  pet,  could 
be  counsellor  and  friend,  and  a  daily  inspiration. 
Instead  of  shrinking  from  the  world  with  which  I 
must  grapple,  she  already  looked  out  upon  its 
tangled  and  cruel  problems  with  clear,  intelligent,' 
courageous  eyes  ;  single-handed  she  had  coped  with 
it  and  won  from  it  a  place  and  respect.  And  yet, 
with  all  her  strength  and  fearlessness,  she  had  kept 
her  woman's  heart  gentle  and  tender.  Oh,  who 
could  have  better  proof  of  this  than  I,  who  had  seen 
her  face  bending  over  the  little  unconscious  Zillah, 
and  who  had  heard  her  low  sob  when  she  feared  I 
might  be  dying. 

The  two  maidens  sat  side  by  side,  and  I  was  not 
good  enough  to  think  of  anything  better  or  purer 
than  they.  Adah,  with  her  face  composed  to  its 
meeting-house  quiet,  but  softened  and  made  more 
beautiful  by  passing  shades  of  thought  ;  still  it 
seemed  almost  as  young  and  childlike  as  that  of 
Zillah.  Miss  Warren's  profile  was  less  round  and  full, 
but  it  was  more  finely  chiselled,  and  was  luminous 
with  mind.  The  slightly  higher  forehead,  the  more 
delicately  arched  eyebrow,  the  deeper  setting  of 
her  dark,  changing  eyes,  that  were  placed  wide  apart 
beneath  the  overhanging  brow,  the  short,  thin, 
tremulous  upper  lip,  were  all  indications  of  the 
quick,  informing  spirit  which  made  her  face  like  a 
transparency  through  which  her  thoughts  could 
often  be  guessed  before  spoken  ;  and  since  they 
were  good,  noble,  genial  thoughts,  they  enhanced 
her  beauty.  And  yet  it  had  occurred  to  me  more 


334  A   DAY  OF  FA  TE. 

then    once    that   if  Miss   Warren  were  a  depraved 
woman  she  could  give  to  evil  a  deadly  fascination. 

"Are  her  thoughts  wandering  like  mine?"  I 
mused.  With  kindling  hope  I  saw  her  face  grow 
sad,  and  I  even  imagined  that  her  pallor  increased. 
For  a  long  time  she  looked  quietly  and  fixedly  be 
fore  her,  as  did  Adah,  and  then  she  stole  ashy,  hesi 
tating  glance  at  Mr.  Hearn  by  her  side  ;  but  ir  :- 
banker  seemingly  had  found  the  silent  meeting  a 
trifle  dull,  for  his  eyes  were  heavy,  and  all  life  and 
animation  had  faded  out  of  his  full  white  face. 
Was  it  my  imagination,  cr  did  she  slightly  shrink 
from  him  ?  In  an  almost  instantaneous  flash  she 
turned  a  little  more  and  glanced  at  me,  and  I  was 
caught  in  the  act  of  almost  breathless  scrutiny.  A 
sudden  red  flamed  in  her  cheeks,  but  not  a  Friend 
of  them  all  was  more  motionless  than  she  at  once 
became. 

My  conscience  smote  me.  Though  I  watched  for 
her  happiness  as  truly  as  my  own,  the  old  meeting 
house  should  have  been  a  sanctuary  even  from  the 
eyes  of  love.  I  knew  from  the  expression  of  her 
face  that  she  had  not  liked  it  ;  nor  did  I  blame  her. 

I  was  glad  to  have  the  silence  of  the  meeting 
broken  ;  for  a  venerable  man  rose  slowly  from  the 
high  seat  and  reverently  enunciated  the  words, 

The    Lord   of   Hosts   is   with   us  ;  the   God    of 
Jacob  is  our  refuge. 

"  He  maketh  wars  to  cease  unto  the  end  of  the 
earth  ;  he  breaketh  the  bow  and  cutteth  the  spear 
in  sunder  ;  he  burneth  the  chariot  in  the  fire. 


THE    OLD  MEETIXG-HOUSE  AGAIN.          335 

4  The  quiet,  reverent  bowing  of  the  heart  to 
his  will  is  often  the  most  acceptable  worship  that 
we  can  offer,"  he  began,  and  if  he  had  stopped 
there  the  effect  would  have  been  perfect  ;  but  he 
began  to  talk  and  to  ramble.  With  a  sense  of  deep 
disappointment  I  dreaded  lest  the  hour  should  pass 
and  that  Mrs.  Yocomb  would  not  speak  ;  but  as 
the  old  gentleman  sat  down,  that  rapt  look  was 
on  her  face  that  I  remembered  seeing  on  the  night 
of  the  storm.  She  rose,  took  off  her  deep  Quaker 
bonnet,  and  laid  it  quietly  on  the  seat  beside  her  ; 
but  one  saw  that  she  was  not  thinking  of  it  or  of 
anything  except  the  truth  which  filled  her  mind. 

Clasping  her  hands  before  her  she  looked  stead 
fastly  toward  heaven  for  a  few  moments,  and  then, 
in  a  low,  sweetk  penetrating  monotone,  repeated 
the  words, 

1  Peace  I  leave  with  you,  my  peace  I  give  unto 
you  :  not  as  the  world  giveth,  give  I  unto  you.  Let 
not  your  heart  be  troubled,  neither  let  it  be  afraid. ' 

She  paused  a  moment,  and  I  gazed  in  won 
der  at  her  serene,  uplifted  face.  She  had  spoken 
with  such  an  utter  absence  of  self-consciousness  or 
regard  for  externals  as  to  give  the  strong  impres 
sion  that  the  words  had  come  again  from  heaven 
through  her  lips,  and  were  endowed  with  a  new  life 
and  richer  meaning  ;  and  now  she  seemed  waiting 
for  whatever  else  might  be  given  to  her. 

Could  that  inspired  woman,  who  now  looked  as  if 
she  might  have  stood  unabashed  on  the  Mount  of 
Transfiguration,  be  my  genial,  untiring  nurse,  and 
the  cheery  matron  of  the  farm-house,  whose  deft 


336  A    DA  Y  OF  FA  TE. 

hands  had  made  the  sweet,  light  bread  we  had  eaten 
this  morning  ?  I  had  long  loved  her  ;  but  now,  as  I 
realized  as  never  before  the  grand  compass  of  her 
womanly  nature,  I  began  to  reverence  her.  A  swift 
glance  at  Miss  Warren  revealed  that  the  text  had 
awakened  an  interest  so  deep  as  to  suggest  a  great 
and  present  need,  for  the  maiden  was  leaning 
slightly  toward  the  speaker  and  waiting  with  parted 
lips. 

"As  I  sat  here,"  Mrs.  Yocomb  began,  looking 
down  upon  us  with  a  grave,  gentle  aspect,  "  these 
words  came  to  me  as  if  spoken  in  my  soul,  and  I  am 
constrained  to  repeat  them  unto  you.  I'm  impressed 
with  the  truth  that  peace  is  the  chief  need  of  the 
world — the  chief  need  of  every  human  heart.  Be 
yond  success,  beyond  prosperity,  beyond  happiness, 
is  the  need  of  peace — the  deep,  assured  rest  of  the 
soul  that  is  akin  to  the  eternal  calmness  of  Him 
who  spake  these  words. 

4  The  world  at  large  is  full  of  turmoil  and  trou 
ble.  The  sounds  of  its  wretched  disquietude  reach 
me  even  in  this  quiet  place  and  at  this  quiet  hour. 
I  seem  to  hear  the  fierce  uproar  of  battle  ;  for  while 
we  are  turning  our  thoughts  up  to  the  God  of 
peace,  misguided  men  are  dealing  death-blows  to 
their  fellow  men.  I  hear  cries  of  rage,  I  hear  tho 
groans  of  the  dying.  But  sadder  than  these  bloody 
fields  of  open  strife  are  the  dark  places  of  cruelty. 
I  hear  the  clank  of  the  prisoner's  chain,  and  the  crack 
of  the  slave-driver's  whip.  I  see  desperate  and 
despairing  faces  revealing  tortured  souls  to  whom  the 
light  of  each  day  brings  more  bitter  wrongs,  viler 


THE    OLD   MEETING-HOUSE   AGAIN,  337 

indignities,  until  they  are  ready  to  curse  God  for  the 
burden  of  life.  Sadder  still,  I  hear  the  dark  whis 
perings  of  those  who  would  destroy  the  innocent 
and  cast  down  the  simple,  I  hear  the  satanic  laugh 
of  such  as  are  false  to  sacred  trusts  and  holy 
obligations,  who  ruthlessly  as  swine  .are  rending 
hearts  that  have  given  all  the  pearls  they  had. 
From  that  sacred  place,  home,  come  to  me  hot 
words  of  strife,  drunken,  brutal  blows,  and  the  wail- 
Ing  of  helpless  women  and  children.  Saddest  of 
all  earthly  sounds,  I  hear  the  wild  revelry  of  those 
who  are  not  the  victims  of  evil  in  others,  but  who, 
while  madly  seeking  happiness,  are  blotting  out  all 
hope  of  happiness,  and  who  are  committing  that 
crime  of  crimes,  the  destruction  of  theiro\vn  immor 
tal  souls.  Did  I  say  the  last  was  the  saddest  of 
earthly  sounds?  There  comes  to  me  another,  at 
which  my  heart  sinks  -  it  is  the  sound  of  proud 
arrogant  voices,  wrho  are  explaining  that  faith  is  a 
delusion,  that  prayer  is  wasted  breath,  that  the 
God  of  the  Bible  is  a  dream  of  old-time  mystics, 
and  that  Christ  died  in  vain.  I  hear  the  moan  of 
Mary  at  the  sepulchre  repeated  from  thousands  of 
hearts,  '  They  have  taken  away  rny  Lord,1  O  God, 
•forgive  those  who  would  blot  out  the  dearest  hope 
which  has  ever  sustained  humanity.  Can  there  be 
peace  in  a  \vorld  wherein  we  can  never  escape  these 
sad,  terrible,  discordant  sounds  ?  The  words  that 
I  have  repeated  were  spoken  in  just  such  a  world 
when  the  din  of  evil  was  at  its  worst,  and  to  those 
who  must  soon  suffer  all  the  wrong  that  the  world 
could  inflict/1 


333  A   DAY  OF  FATE. 

After  a  brief  pause  of  silent  waiting  she  con 
tinued  : 

"  But  is  the  turmoil  of  the  world  a  far-away  sound, 
like  the  sullen  roar  of  angry  waves  beating  on  a 
shore  that  rises  high  and  enduring,  securing  us 
safety  and  rest  ?  Beyond  the  deep  disquietude  of 
the  world  at  large  is  the  deeper  unrest  of  the  human 
heart.  No  life  can  be  so  secluded  and  sheltered 
but  that  anxieties,  doubts,  fears,  and  foreboding  will 
come  with  all  their  disturbing  power.  Often  sor 
rows  more  bitter  than  death  are  hidden  by  smil 
ing  faces,  and  in  our  quiet  country  homes  there  are 
men  and  women  carrying  burdens  that  are  crushing 
out  hope  and  life  :  mothers  breaking  their  hearts 
over  wayward  sons  and  daughters  ;  wives  desperate 
because  the  men  who  wooed  them  as  blushing 
maidens  have  forgotten  their  vows,  and  have  be 
come  swinish  sots ;  men  disheartened  because  the 
sweet-faced  girls  that  they  thought  would  give 
them  a  home  have  become  vile  slatterns,  busy- 
bodies,  shrill-tongued  shrews,  who  banish  the  very- 
thought  of  peace  and  rest,  who  waste  their  sub 
stance  and  eat  out  their  hearts  with  care.  Oh,  the 
clouds  of  earth  are  not  those  which  sweep  across 
the  sun,  but  those  which  rise  out  of  unhappy  hearts 
and  evil  lives.  These  are  the  clouds  that  gather 
over  too  many  in  a  leaden  pall,  and  it  seems  as  if 
no  light  could  ever  break  through  them.  There 
are  hearts  to  whom  life  seems  to  promise  one  long, 
hopeless  struggle  to  endure  an  incurable  pain. 
Can  there  be  peace  for  such  unhappy  ones  ?  To 
just  such  human  hearts  were  the  words  spoken, 


THE   OLD  MEETING-JIOUSE  AGAIN.          339 

4  Peace  I  leave  with  you,  my  peace   I   give  unto 
you.'  ' 

Then  came  one  of  those  little  pauses  that  were 
quite  as  impressive  as  the  preceding  words.  Al 
though  my  interest  was  almost  breathless,  I  invol 
untarily  looked  toward  one  whom  I  now  associated 
with  every  thought. 

"  O  God  1"  I  exclaimed  mentally,  "  can  that  be 
the  aspect  of  a  maiden  happy  in  her  love  and  hope  ?' ' 
Her  face  had  become  almost  white,  and  across  the 
pallor  of  her  cheeks  tear  followed  tear,  as  from  a 
full  and  bitter  fountain. 

Never,  in  all  this  evil  world,"  the  speaker  re 
sumed,  "was  there  such  cruel,  bitter  mockery  as 
these  words  would  be  if  they  were  not  true — if  he 
who  spake  them  had  no  right  to  speak  them.  And 
what  right  would  he  have  to  speak  them  if  he  were 
merely  a  man  among  men — a  part  of  the  world 
which  never  has  and  never  can  give  peace  to  the 
troubled  soul  ?  How  do  we  know  these  words  are 
true  ?  How  do  we  know  he  had  a  right  to  speak 
them  ?  Thank  God  !  I  know,  because  he  has 
kept  his  word  to  me.  Thank  God  !  Millions  know, 
because  he  has  proved  his  power  to  them.  The 
scourged,  persecuted,  crucified  disciples  found  that 
he  was  with  them  always,  even  unto  the  end. 
Oh,  my  friends,  it  is  this  living,  loving,  spiritual 
Presence  that  uplifts  and  sustains  the  sinking  heart 
when  the  whole  great  world  could  only  stand  help 
lessly  by.  '  Not  as  the  world  giveth,  give  I  unto 
you.'  Yes,  thank  thee,  Lord,  '  not  as  the  world.' 
In  spite  of  the  world  and  the  worst  it  can  do,  in 


340  A    DAY  OF  FA  TE. 

spite  of  our  evil  and  the  worst  it  can  do,  in  spite  of 
our  sorrows,  our  fears,  our  pains  and  losses,  our 
bitter  disappointments,  thou  canst  give  peace ; 
thou  hast  given  peace.  No  storm  can  harm  the 
soul  that  rests  on  the  Rock  of  Ages,  and  by  and  by 
he  will  say  to  the  storm,  '  Peace,  be  still,'  and  the 
light  of  heaven  will  come.  Then  there  shall  be  no 
more  night.  God  shall  wipe  away  all  tears  from 
their  eyes  ;  and  there  shall  be  no  more  death, 
neither  sorrow  nor  crying,  neither  shall  there  be  any 
more  pain  ;  for  the  former  things  are  passed  away.'  ' 

The  light  and  gladness  of  that  blessed  future 
seemed  to  have  come  into  her  sweet,  womanly  face. 
I  looked  out  of  the  window  to  hide  tears  of  which 
I  was  fool  enough  to  be  ashamed. 

When  she  spoke  again  her  voice  was  low  and 
pitiful,  and  her  face  full  of  the  divinest  sympathy. 

Dear  friends,"  she  said,  "  it  was  not  merely  peace 
that  he  promised,  but  his  peace.  '  My  peace  I 
give  unto  you,'  Remember,  it  was  the  man  of  sor 
rows  who  spoke  ;  remember  that  he  was  acquainted 
with  grief  ;  remember  that  years  of  toil  and  hard 
ship  were  behind  him,  and  that  Gethsemane  and 
Calvary  were  before  him  ;  remember  that  one  would 
betray  him,  and  that  all  would  desert  him.  When 
he  spoke,  the  storm  of  the  world's  evil  was  breaking 
upon  him  more  cruelly  and  remorselessly  than  it 
ever  has  on  any  tempted  soul.  He  suffered  more 
because  more  able  to  suffer.  But  beneath  all  was 
the  sacred  calm  of  one  who  is  right,  and  who  means 
to  do  right  to  the  end,  cost  what  it  may.  The 
peace  that  he  promises  is  not  immunity  from  pain 


THE    OLD   MEET  I  \G-HO  USE   AGAIN.  34  * 

or  loss,  or  the  gratification  of  the  heart's  earthly 
desires.  His  natural  and  earthly  desires  were  not 
gratified  ;  often  ours  cannot  be.  His  peace  came 
from  self-denial  for  the  good  of  others,  from  the 
consciousness  that  he  was  doing  his  Father's  will, 
and  from  the  assurance  that  good  would  come  out 
of  the  seeming  evil.  Suffer  he  must,  because  he 
was  human,  and  in  a  world  of  suffering  ;  but  he 
chose  to  suffer  that  we  might  know  that  he  under 
stands  us,  and  sympathizes  \vith  us  when  we  suffer. 
To  each  and  to  all  he  can  say,  I  was  tempted  in  all 
points  like  unto  thee.  When  we  wander  he  goes 
out  after  us  ;  when  we  fall  he  lifts  us  up  ;  when  we 
faint  he  takes  us  in  his  arms  and  carries  us  on  his 
bosom.  O  great  heart  of  love  !  thy  patience  never 
tires,  never  wearies.  Thou  canst  make  good  to  us 
every  earthly  loss  ;  thy  touch  can  heal  every  wound 
of  the  soul.  Even  though  life  be  one  long  martyr 
dom,  yet  through  thy  Presence  it  may  be  a  blessed 
life,  full  of  peace. 

11  Because  our  Lord  was  a  man  of  sorrows,  was  he 
in  love  with  sorrows  ?  or  does  he  love  to  see  storms 
gathering  around  his  people  ?  No.  It  was  not 
with  his  sorrows,  but  with  our  sorrows,  that  he  was 
afflicted.  He  so  loved  the  world  that  he  could  not 
be  glad  when  we  were  sad.  It  is  said  that  there  is 
no  record  that  Jesus  ever  smiled  ;  but  those  little 
children  whom  he  took  in  his  arms  and  blessed 
know  that  he  smiled.  I  doubt  whether  he  ever  saw 
a  flower  but  that,  no  matter  how  weary  from  the  hot 
day's  long  journey,  he  smiled  back  upon  it.  The 
flowers  are  but  his  smiles,  and  the  world  is  full  of 


342  A  DA  Y   OF  FA  TE. 

them.  Still  he  is  naturally  and  very  justly  asso 
ciated  with  sorrow  ;  for  when  on  earth  he  sought  out 
those  in  trouble,  and  the  distressed  and  the  suffer 
ing  soon  learned  to  fly  to  him.  What  was  the  re 
sult  ?  Were  the  shadows  deepened  ?  Was  the 
suffering  prolonged  ?  Let  the  sisters  of  Bethany 
answer  you  ;  let  the  widow  of  Nain  answer  you. 
Let  the  great  host  of  the  lame,  blind,  diseased,  and 
leprous  answer.  Look  into  the  gentle,  serene  eyes 
of  Mary  Magdalene,  once  so  desperate  and  clouded 
by  evil,  and  then  know  whether  he  brings  sorrow 
or  joy  to  the  world.  Just  as  the  sun  follows  the 
night  that  it  may  bring  the  day,  so  the  Sun  of 
Righteousness  seeks  out  all  that  is  dark  in  our  lives 
that  he  may  shine  it  away.  Gladness,  then,  should 
be  the  rule  of  our  lives.  Nothing  to  him  is  so 
pleasing  as  gladness,  if  it  comes  from  the  heart  of 
pilgrims  truly  homeward  bound  ;  but  if  sorrow 
comes,  oh,  turn  not  to  the  world,  for  the  best  thing 
in  it  can  give  no  peace,  no  rest.  Simply  do  right, 
and  leave  the  results  with  him  who  said,  even  under 
the  shadow  of  his  cross,  '  My  peace  I  give  unto 
you.'  Accept  this  message,  dear  friends,  and  '  Let 
not  your  hearts  be  troubled,  and  neither  let  them 
be  afraid.'  And  she  sat  down  quietly  and  closed 
her  eyes. 

There  was  here  and  there  a  low  sob  from  the 
women,  and  the  eyes  of  some  of  the  most  rugged- 
featured  men  were  moist.  The  hush  that  followed 
was  broken  by  deep  and  frequent  sighs.  Mr.  Yo- 
comb  sat  with  his  face  lifted  heavenward,  and  I 
knew  it  was  serene  and  thankful.  The  eyes  of  Reu- 


THE   OLD  MEETING-HOUSE   AGAIN.  343 

ben,  who  was  beside  me,  rested  on  his  mother  in 
simple,  loving  devotion.  As  yet  she  was  his  relig 
ion.  Adah  was  looking  a  little  wonderingly  but 
sympathetically  at  Miss  Warren,  whose  bowed  head 
and  fallen  veil  could  not  hide  her  deep  emotion. 
The  banker,  too,  looked  at  her  even  more  wonder 
ingly.  At  last  the  most  venerable  man  on  the  high 
seat  gave  his  hand  to  another  white-haired  Friend 
beside  him,  and  the  congregation  began  slowly  and 
quietly  to  disperse. 

"  Come,  Reuben,"  I  said,  in  a  whisper,  "  let  us 
get  away,  quick." 

He  looked  at  me  in  surprise,  but  in  a  few  mo 
ments  the  old  meeting-house  was  hidden  behind  us 
among  the  trees.  Dapple's  feet  scarcely  touched 
the  ground  ;  but  I  sat  silent,  absorbed,  and  almost 
overwhelmed. 

"Didn't — didn't  thee  like  what  mother  said?" 
Reuben  asked,  after  a  while,  a  little  hurt. 

I  felt  at  once  that  he  misunderstood  my  silence, 
and  I  put  my  arm  around  his  neck  as  I  said,  "  Reu 
ben,  love  and  honor  your  mother  the  longest  day 
you  live.  She  is  one  among  a  million.  '  Liked  !  ' 
It  mattered  little  whether  I  liked  it  or  not  ;  she 
made  it  seem  God's  own  truth." 

"  And  to  think,  Richard,  that  if  it  hadn't  been 
for  thee— " 

"  Hush,  Reuben.  To  think  rather  that  she  wait 
ed  on  me  for  days  and  nights  together.  Well,  I 
could  turn  Catholic  and  worship  one  saint." 

"I'm  glad  she's  only  mother,"  said  the  boy, 
with  a  low  laugh  ;  "and  Richard,  she  likes  me  to 


344  A   DAY  OF  FATE. 

have  a  good  time  as  much  as  I  do  myself.  She 
always  made  me  mind,  but  she's  been  jolly  good  to 
me.  Oh,  I  love  her  ;  don't  thee  worry  about  that.'5" 
'  Well,  whatever  happens,""  I  said,  with  a  deep 
breath,  *'  I  thank  God  for  the  day  that  brought  me. 
to  her  home." 

44  So  do  I/'  said  the  boy  ;  "  so  do  we  all  ;  but 
confound  Emily  Warren's,  grandfather  \  I  don't 
take  to  him.  He  thinks  we're  wonderfully  simple 
folks,  just  about  good  enough  to  board  him  and 
that  black-eyed  witch  of  his.  I  do  kind  of  like 
her  a  little  bit,  she's  so  saucy  like  sometimes. 
One  day  she  commenced  ordering  me  around,  and  I 
stood  and  stared  at  the  little  miss  in  a  way  that  she 
won't  forget." 

"  She'll  learn  to  coax  by  and  by,  and  then  you'll 
do  anything  for  her,  Reuben." 

""  P'raps/'  he  said,,  with  a  half  smile  on  his  ruddy 
face. 


CHAPTER   XIV. 

LOVE   TEACHING   ETHICS. 

ON  reaching  the  farmhouse  I  went  directly  to 
my  room,  and  I  wished  that  I  might  stay 
there  the  rest  of  the  day  ;  but  I  was  soon  sum 
moned  to  dinner.  In  Miss  Warren's  eyes  still 
lingered  the  evidences  of  her  deep  feeling,  but  her 
expression  was  quiet,  firm,  and  resolute.  The 
effect  of  the  sermon  upon  her  was  just  what  I  an 
ticipated  in  case  my  hope  had  any  foundation — it 
had  bound  her  by  what  seemed  the  strongest  of  mo 
tives  to  be  faithful  to  the  man  whom  she  believed 
had  the  right  to  her  fealty. 

"Well,  "I  thought  bitterly,  "  life  might  have 
brought  her  a  heavier  cross  than  marrying  a  hand 
some  millionaire,  even  though  considerably  her 
senior.  I'm  probably  a  conceited  fool  for  thinking 
it  any  very  great  burden  at  all.  But  how,  then,  can 
I  account —  ?  Well,  well,  time  alone  can  unravel 
this  snarl.  One  thing  is  certain  :  she  will  do  nothing 
that  she  does  not  believe  right  ;  and  after  what  Mrs. 
Yocomb  said  I  would  not  dare  to  wish  her  to  do 
wrong." 

Mrs.  Yocomb  did  not  come  down  to  dinner,  and 
the  meal  was  a  quiet  one.  Mr.  Yocomb's  eyes 
glistened  with  a  serene,  happy  light,  but  he  ate 
sparingly,  and  spoke  in  subdued  tones.  He  re 
minded  me  of  the  quaint  old  scripture — "  A  man's 


A    DA  Y  OF  FA  TE. 

wisdom  maketh  his  face  to  shine."  Whatever 
might  be  said  against  his  philosophy,  it  produced 
good  cheer  and  peace.  Adah,  too,  was  very 
quiet  ;  but  occasionally  she  glanced  toward  Miss 
Warren  as  if  perplexed  and  somewhat  troubled, 
Mr.  Hearn  seemed  wrought  up  into  quite  a  relig 
ious  fervor.  He  was  demonstratively  tender  and 
sympathetic  toward  the  girl  at  his  side,  and  waited 
on  her  with  the  effusive  manner  of  one  whose  feel 
ings  must  have  some  outlet.  His  appetite,  how 
ever,  did  not  flag,  and  I  thought  he  seemed  to  enjoy 
his  emotions  and  his  dinner  equally. 

"  Mr.  Morton,"  he  said  impressively,  "you 
must  have  liked  that  sermon  exceedingly." 

"  Indeed,  sir,"  I  replied  briefly,  "  I  have  scarcely 
thought  whether  I  liked  it  or  not." 

Both  he  and  Miss  Warren  looked  at  me  in  sur 
prise  ;  indeed  all  did  except  Reuben. 

"  I  beg  your  pardon,  but  I  thought  Mrs.  Yocomb 
expressed  herself  admirably,"  he  said,  with  some 
what  of  the  air  of  championship. 

"  She  certainly  expressed  herself  clearly.  The 
trouble  with  me  is  that  the  sermon  is  just  what 
Mrs.  Yocomb  would  call  it — a  message — and  one 
scarcely  knows  how  to  dodge  it.  I  never  had  such 
a  spiritual  blow  between  the  eyes  before,  and  think 
I'm  a  little  stunned  yet." 

A  smile  lighted  up  Miss  Warren's  face.  "  Mrs. 
Yocomb  would  like  your  tribute  to  her  sermon,  1 
think,"  she  said. 

"  What  most  bewilders  me,"  I  resumed,  "  is  to 
think  how  Mrs.  Yocomb  has  been  waiting  on  me 


LOVE    TEACHING  ETHICS.  347 

and  taking  care  of  me.  I  now  feel  like  the  peas 
ant  who  was  taken  in  and  cared  for  by  the  royal 
family." 

"  I  think  our  friend  Mr.  Morton  is  in  what  may 
be  termed  '  a  frame  of  mind/  "  said  Mr,  Hearn  a 
little  satirically. 

'  Yes,  sir,  I  am,"  I  replied  emphatically.  "I 
believe  that  adequate  causes  should  have  some 
effects.  It  does  not  follow,  however,  that  my 
frame  of  mind  is  satisfactory  to  any  one,  least  of  all 
to  Mrs.  Yocornb, " 

'  Your  contact  with  the  truth,"  said  Mr.  Hearn, 
laughing,  "  is  somewhat  like  many  people's  first 
experience  of  the  ocean — you  are  much  stirred  up, 
but  have  not  yet  reached  the  point  of  yielding  to 
the  mysterious  malady." 

I  was  disgusted,  and  was  about  to  reply  with  a 
sarcastic  compliment  upon  the  elegance  of  his  illus 
tration,  when  a  look  of  pain  upon  Miss  Warren's 
face  checked  me,  and  I  said  nothing.  Lack  of 
delicacy  was  one  of  Mr.  Hearn 's  gravest  faults. 
While  courtly,  polished,  and  refined  in  externals,  he 
lacked  in  tact  and  nicety  of  discrimination.  He 
often  said  things  which  a  finer  fibred  but  much 
worse  man  would  never  have  said.  He  had  an 
abundance  of  intellect,  great  shrewdness,  vast  will 
force,  and  organizing  power,  but  not  much  ideality 
or  imagination.  This  lack  rendered  him  incapable 
of  putting  himself  in  the  place  of  another,  and  of 
appreciating  their  feelings,  moods,  and  motives. 
The  most  revolting  thought  to  me  of  his  union  with 
Miss  Warren  was  that  he  would  never  appreciate  her. 


A    DA  Y  OF  FA  TE< 

He  greatly  admired  and  respected  her,  but  his 
spiritual  eyes  were  too  dim  to  note  the  exquisite 
bloom  on  her  character,  or  to  detect  the  evanescent 
lights  and  shades  of  thought  and  feeling  of  which 
to  me  her  mobile  face  gave  so  many  hints.  He 
would  expect  her  to  be  like  the  July  days  now  pass 
ing — warm,  bright,  cloudless,  and  in  keeping  with 
his  general  prosperity. 

*  They  will  disappoint  each  other  inevitably,"  I 
thought,  "  and  it's  strange  that  her  clear  eyes  can 
not  see  it  when  mine  can.  It  is  perhaps  the 
strongest  evidence  of  her  love  for  him,  since  love  is 
blind.  Still  she  may  love  and  yet  be  able  to  see 
his  foibles  and  failings  clearly  ;  thousands  of  women 
do  this.  But  whether  the  silken  cord  of  lave  or 
the  chain  of  supposed  duty  binds  her  to  him  now, 
I  fear  that  Mrs.  Yocomb's  sermon  has  made  her  his 
for  all  time. 

Her  manner  confirmed  my  surmise,  for  she  ap 
parently  gave  me  little  thought,  and  was  unobtru 
sively  attentive  and  devoted  to  him.  He  had  the 
good  taste  to  see  that  further  personal  remarks 
were  not  agreeable  ;  and  since  his  last  attempted 
witticism  fell  flat,  did  not  attempt  any  more.  Our 
table-talk  flagged,  and  we  hastened  through  the 
meal.  After  it  was  over  he  asked, 

"  Emily,  what  shall  we  do  this  afternoon  ?" 
"  Anything  you  wish,"  she  replied  quietly. 
'  That's  the  way  it  will  always  be,"  I  muttered 
as  I  went  dejectedly  to  my  room.       '  Through  ?,11 
his  life  it  has  been  '  anything  you   wish,'  and  now 
it  would   seem  as  if  religion  itself  had  become  his 


LOVE    TEACHING  ETHICS.  349 

ally.  There  is  nothing  to  me  so  wonderful  as  some 
men's  fortune.  Earth  and  heaven  seem  in  league 
to  forward  their  interests.  But  why  was  she  so 
moved  at  the  meeting-house  ?  Was  it  merely  re 
ligious  sensibility  ?  It  might  have  been  :  we  were 
all  moved  deeply.  Was  it  my  imagination,  or  did 
she  really  shrink  from  him,  and  then  glance  guiltily 
at  me  ?  Even  if  she  had,  it  might  have  been  a 
momentary  repulsion  caused  by  his  drowsy,  heavy 
aspect  at  the  time,  just  as  his  remark  at  dinner 
gave  her  an  unpleasant  twinge.  These  little  back 
eddies  are  no  proof  that  there  is  not  a  strong  central 
current. 

"  Can  it  be  that  she  was  sorrowful  in  the  meeting 
house  for  my  sake  only?  I've  had  strong  proof  of 
her  wonderful  kindness  of  heart.  Well,  God  bless 
her  any  way.  I'll  wait  and  watch  till  I  know  the 
truth.  I  suppose  I'm  the  worst  heathen  Mrs. 
Yocomb  ever  preached  to,  but  I'm  going  to  secure 
Emily  Warren's  happiness  at  any  cost.  If  she 
truly  loves  this  man,  I'll  go  away  and  fight  it  out 
so  sturdily  that  she  need  not  worry.  That's  what 
her  sermon  means  for  me.  I'm  not  going  to  pump 
up  any  religious  sentiment.  I  don't  feel  any.  It's 
like  walking  into  a  bare  room  to  have  a  turn  with 
a  thumb.-screw  ;  but  Mrs.  Yocomb  has  hedged  me 
up  to  just  this  course.  Oh,  the  gentle,  inexorable 
woman  !  Satan  himself  might  well  tremble  before 
her.  There  is  but  one  that  I  fear  more,  and  that's 
the  woman  I  love  most.  Gentle,  tender-hearted  as 
she  is,  she  is  more  inexorable  than  Mrs.  Yocomb, 
It's  a  little  strange,  but  I  doubt  whether  there  is 


35°  '  A    DAY  OF  FA  TE. 

anything  in  the  universe  that  so  inspires  a  man 
with  awe  as  a  thoroughly  good,  large-minded 
woman." 

I  could  not  sleep  that  afternoon,  and  at  last  I 
became  so  weary  of  the  conflict  between  my  hope 
and  fear  that  I*  was  glad  to  hear  Miss  Warren  at  the 
piano,  playing  softly  some  old  English  hymns. 
The  day  was  growing  cool  and  shadowy,  but  I  hoped 
that  before  it  passed  I  might  get  a  chance  to  say 
something  to  her  which  would  give  a  different  aspect 
to  the  concluding  words  of  Mrs.  Yocomb's  sermon. 
I  had  determined  no  longer  to  avoid  her  society, 
but  rather  to  seek  it,  whenever  I  could  in  the  pres 
ence  of  others,  and  especially  of  her  affianced. 
They  had  returned  from  a  long  afternoon  in  the 
arbor,  which  I  knew  must  occasion  Miss  Warren 
some  unpleasant  thoughts,  and  the  banker  was  sit 
ting  on  the  piazza,  chatting  with  Adah. 

I  strolled  into  the  parlor  with  as  easy  and  natural 
a  manner  as  I  could  assume,  and  taking  my  old  seat 
by  the  window,  said  quietly,  "  Please  go  on  playing, 
Miss  Warren." 

She  turned  on  me  one  of  her  swift  looks,  which 
always  gave  me  the  impression  that  she  saw  all  that 
was  in  my  mind.  Her  color  rose  a  little,  but  she 
continued  playing  for  a  time.  Then  with  her  right 
hand  evoking  low,  sweet  chords,  she  asked,  with  a 
conciliatory  smile, 

"  Have  you  been  thinking  over  Mrs.  Yocomb's 
words  this  afternoon  ?" 

"  Not  all  the  time — no.     Have  you  ?" 

"  How  could  I  all  the  time  ?" 


LOVE    TEACHING  ETHICS.  351 

"  Oh,  I  think  you  can  do  anything  under  heaven 
you  make  up  your  mind  to  do, ' '  I  said,  with  a  slight 
laugh.  The  look  she  gave  now  was  a  little  appre 
hensive,  and  I  added  hastily,  "  I've  had  one 
thought  that  I  don't  mind  telling  you,  for  I  think 
it  may  be  a  pleasant  one,  though  it  may  recall  that 
which  is  painful.  The  thought  occurred  to  me  when 
Mrs.  Yocomb  was  speaking,  and  since,  that  your 
brother  had  perfect  peace  as  he  stood  in  that  line 
of  battle." 

She  turned  eagerly  toward  me,  and  tears  rushed 
into  her  eyes. 

'  You  may  be  right,"  she  said,  in  a  low,  tremu 
lous  tone. 

"  Well,  I  feel  sure  I'm  right.  I  know  it,  if  he  was 
anything  like  you." 

"  Oh,  then  I  doubt  it.  I'm  not  at  all  brave  as 
he  was.  You  ought  to  know  that." 

"  You  have  the  courage  that  a  veteran  general 
most  values  in  a  soldier.  You  might  be  half  dead 
from  terror,  but  you  wouldn't  runaway.  Besides," 
I  added,  smiling,  "  you  would  not  be  afraid  of  shot 
and  shell,  only  the  noise  of  a  battle.  In  this  respect 
your  brother,  no  doubt,  differed  from  you.  In  the 
grand  consciousness  of  right,  and  in  his  faithful  per 
formance  of  duty,  I  believe  his  face  was  as  serene  as 
the  aspect  of  Mr.  Yocomb  when  he  looked  at  the 
coming  storm.  As  far  as  peace  is  concerned,  his 
heaven  began  on  earth.  I  envy  him." 

"  Mr.  Morton,  I  thank  you  for  these  words  about 
my  brother,"  she  said  very  gently,  and  with  a  little 
pathetic  quaver  in  her  voice.  "  They  have  given 


352  A    DAY   OF  FATE. 

me  a  comforting  association  with  that  awful  day. 
Oh,  I  thank  God  for  the  thought.  Remembering 
what  Mrs.  Yocomb  said,  it  reconciles  me  to  it  all, 
as  I  never  thought  I  could  be  reconciled.  If  Her 
bert  believed  that  it  was  his  duty  to  be  there,  it 
was  best  he  should  be  there.  How  strange  it  is 
that  you  should  think  of  this  first,  and  not  I  !" 

"  Will  you  pardon  me  if  I  take  exception  to  one 
thing  you  say.  I  do  not  think  it  follows  that  he 
ought  to  have  been  there  simply  because  he  felt  it 
right,  to  be  there.'' 

"  Why,  Mr.  Morton  !  ought  one  not  to  do  right 
at  any  and  every  cost  ?  That  seemed  to  me  the 
very  pith  of  Mrs.  Yocomb's  teaching,  and  I  think 
she  made  it  clear  that  it's  always  best  to  do  right." 
"  I  think  so  too,  most  emphatically  ;  but  what  is 
right,  Miss  Warren  ?" 

"  That's  too  large  a  question  for  me  to  answer  in 
the  abstract  ;  but  is  not  the  verdict  of  conscience 
right  for  each  one  of  us?" 

"  I  can't  think  so,"  I  replied,  with  a  shrug. 
"  About  every  grotesque,  horrible  act  ever  com 
mitted  in  this  world  has  been  sanctioned  by  con 
science.  Delicate  women  have  worn  hair-cloth  and 
walked  barefooted  on  cold  pavements  in  midnight 
penance.  The  devil  is  scarcely  more  cruel  than  the 
Church,  for  ages,  taught  that  God  was.  It's  true 
that  Christ's  life  was  one  uf  self-sacrifice  ;  but  was 
there  any  useless,  mistaken  self-sacrifice  in  it  ?  If 
God  is  anything  like  Mrs.  Yocomb,  nothing  could 
be  more  repugnant  to  him  than  blunders  of  this 
kind." 


LOVE    TEACHING  ETHICS.  353 

She  looked  at  me  with  a  startled  face,  and  I  saw 
that  my  words  had  unsettled  her  mind. 

"  If  conscience  cannot  guide,  what  can  ?"  she 
faltered.  "  Is  not  conscience  God's  voice  within 
us?" 

"  No.  Conscience  may  become  God's  worst 
enemy — that  is,  any  God  that  I  could  worship  or 
even  respect." 

"  Mr.  Morton,  you  frighten  me.  How  can  I  do 
right  unless  I  follow  my  conscience  ?" 

"  Yes,"  I  said  sadly,  "  you  would,  in  the  good  old 
times,  have  followed  it  over  stony  pavements,  in 
midnight  penance,  or  now  into  any  thorny  path 
which  it  pointed  out  ;  and  I  believe  that  many  such 
paths  lead  away  from  the  God  of  whom  Mrs.  Yo- 
comb  spoke  to-day.  Miss  Warren,  I'm  a  man  of 
the  world,  and  probably  you  think  my  views  on 
these  subjects  are  not  worth  much.  It's  strange 
that  your  own  nature  does  not  suggest  to  you  the 
only  sure  guide.  It  seems  to  me  that  conscience 
should  always  go  to  truth  for  instructions.  The 
men  who  killed  your  brother  thought  they  were 
right  as  truly  as  he  did  ;  but  history  will  prove  that 
they  were  wrong,  as  so  many  sincere  people  have 
been  in  every  age.  He  did  not  suffer  and  die  useless 
ly,  for  the  truth  was  beneath  his  feet  and  in  his  heart. 

"  Dear,  brave,  noble  Herbert  !"  she  sighed. 
"  Oh  that  God  had  spared  him  to  me  !" 

"I  wish  he  had,"  I  said,  with  quiet  emphasis. 
"  I  wish  he  was  with  you  here  and  now." 

Again  she  gave  me  a  questioning,  troubled  look 
through  her  tears. 


354  A    DAY  OF  FA  TE. 

"  Then  you  believe  truth  to  be  absolutely  bind 
ing  ?"  she  asked,  in  a  low  voice. 

"  Yes.  In  science,  religion,  ethics,  or  human 
action,  nothing  can  last — nothing  can  end  well  that 
is  not  built  squarely  on  truth." 

She  became  very  pale  ;  but  she  turned  quietly 
to  her  piano  as  she  said, 

"  You  are  right,  Mr.  Morton  ;  there  can  be  no 
peace — not  even  self-respect — without  truth.  My 
nature  would  be  pitiful  indeed  did  it  not  teach  me 
that." 

She  had  interpreted  my  words  in  a  way  that  in 
tensified  the  influence  of  Mrs.  Yocomb's  sermon. 
To  be  false  to  the  trust  that  she  had  led  her  affi 
anced  to  repose  in  her  still  seemed  the  depth  of 
degradation.  I  feared  that  she  would  take  this 
view  at  first,  but  believed,  if  my  hope  had  any 
foundation,  she  would  think  my  words  over  so 
often  that  she  would  discover  a  different  meaning. 

And  my  hope  was  strengthened.  If  she  loved 
Mr.  Hearn,  why  did  she  turn,  pale  and  quiet,  to  her 
piano,  which  had  always  appeared  a  refuge  to  her, 
when  I  had  seemingly  spoken  words  that  not  only 
sanctioned  but  made  the  course  which  harmonized 
with  her  love  imperative.  Even  the  possibility  that 
in  the  long  days  and  nights  of  my  delirium  I  had 
unconsciously  wooed  and  won  her  heart,  so  thrilled 
and  overcame  me  that  I  dared  not  trust  myself 
longer  in  her  presence,  and  I  went  out  on  the 
piazza — a  course  eminently  satisfactory  to  Mr. 
Hearn,  no  doubt.  I  think  he  regarded  our  inter 
view  as  becoming  somewhat  extended.  He  had 


LOVE    TEACHING  ETHICS.  355 

glanced  at  me  from  time  to  time,  but  my  manner 
had  been  too  quiet  to  disturb  him,  and  he  could 
not  see  Miss  Warren's  face.  The  words  he  over 
heard  suggested  a  theological  discussion  rather  than 
anything  of  a  personal  nature.  It  had  been  very 
reassuring  to  see  Miss  Warren  turn  from  me  as  if 
my  words  had  ceased  to  interest  her,  and  my 
coming  out  to  talk  with  Adah  confirmed  the  im 
pression  made  by  my  manner  all  along,  that  we 
were  not  very  congenial  spirits.  It  also  occurred 
to  me  that  he  did  not  find  chatting  with  Adah  a 
very  heavy  cross,  for  never  had  she  looked  prettier 
than  on  that  summer  evening.  But  now  that  Miss 
Warren  was  alone  he  went  in  and  sat  down  by  her, 
saying  so  loudly  that  I  could  not  help  hearing  him, 
as  I  stood  by  the  window, 

"  I  think  you  must  have  worsted  Mr.  Morton  in 
your  theological  discussion,  for  he  came  out  look 
ing  as  if  he  had  a  great  deal  to  think  about  that  was 
not  exactly  to  his  taste  ;  but  Miss  Adah  will — "  and 
then  his  companion  began  playing  something  that 
drowned  his  voice. 


CHAPTER   XV. 

DON'T   THINK   OF   ME. 

MRS.  YOCOMB  appeared  at  supper,  serene 
and  cheerful  ;  but  she  was  paler  than  usual, 
and  she  still  looked  like  one  who  had  but  just  de 
scended  from  a  lofty  spiritual  height.  No  refer 
ence  whatever  was  made  to  the  morning.  Mrs. 
Yocomb  no  longer  spoke  on  religious  themes 
directly,  but  she  seemed  to  me  the  Gospel  em 
bodied,  as  with  natural  kindly  grace  she  presided 
at  her  home  table.  Her  husband  beamed  on  her, 
and  looked  as  if  his  cup  was  overflowing.  Reu 
ben's  frank,  boyish  eyes  often  turned  toward  her 
in  their  simple  devotion,  while  Zillah,  who  sat  next 
to  her,  had  many  a  whispered  confidence  to  give. 
Adah's  accent  was  gentle  and  her  manner  thought 
ful.  Miss  Warren  looked  at  her  from  time  to  time 
with  a  strange  wistfulness — looked  as  if  the  matron 
possessed  a  serenity  and  peace  that  she  coveted. 

"  Emily,"  said  Mr.  Yocomb,  "  thee  doesn't  think 
music's  wicked,  does  thee  ?"  . 
"  No,  sir,  nor  do  you  either." 
"  What  does  thee  think  of  that,  mother?" 
"  I  think  Emily  converted  thee  over  to  her  side 
before  she  had  been  here  two  days." 

"  Thee's    winked    very    hard    at    my    apostasy, 

mother.      I'm  inclined  to  think  thee  was  converted 

too,  on  the  third  or  fourth  day,  if  thee'd  own  up." 

"No,"   said   Mrs.    Yocomb,  with  a  smile  at  her 


DO.V'T   THINK  OF  ME.  357 

favorite,  "  Emily  won   my  heart   on   the  first  day, 
and  I  accepted  piano  and  all.'' 

"Why,  Mrs.  Yocomb  !"  I  exclaimed — for  I 
could  not  forego  the  chance  to  vindicate  myself — 
"  I  never  considered  you  a  precipitate,  ill-balanced 
person." 

Miss  Warren's  cheeks  were  scarlet,  and  I  saw 
that  she  understood  me  well.  I  think  Mrs.  Yocomb 
guessed  my  meaning,  too,  for  her  smile  was  a 
little  peculiar  as  she  remarked  demurely,  "  Women 
are  different  from  men  :  they  know  almost  imme 
diately  whether  they  like  a  person  or  not.  I  liked 
thee  in  half  a  day." 

"  You  like  sinners  on  principle,  Mrs.  Yocomb.  I 
think  it  was  my  general  depravity  and  heathenism 
that  won  your  regard." 

"  No,  as  a  woman  I  liked  thee.  Thee  isn't  as 
bad  as  thee  seems." 

Mr.  Yocomb,  I  hope  you  don't  object  to  this, 
for  I  must  assure  you  most  emphatically  that  I 
don't." 

"  Mother's  welcome  to  love  thee  all  she  pleases," 
said  the  old  gentleman,  laughing.  "  Indeed,  I 
think  I  egg  her  on  to  it." 

"  Good  friends,"  said  Miss  Warren,  with  her  old 
mirthful  look,  "you'll  turn  Mr.  Morton's  head; 
you  should  be  more  considerate." 

"  1  am  indeed  bewildered.  Miss  \Varren's  keen 
eyes  have  detected  my  weak  point." 

"  A  man  with  so  stout  a  heart,"  Mr.  Hearn 
began,  "  could  well  afford — "  and  then  he  hesi 
tated. 


35 8  A   DAY  OF  FATE. 

"  To  be  weak-headed,"  I  said,  finishing  his  sen 
tence.  "  I  fear  you  are  mistaken,  sir.  I  can't 
afford  it  at  all." 

'  Thee  was  clear-headed  enough  to  get  around 
mother  in  half  an  hour,"  said  the  old  gentleman 
again,  laughing  heartily.  "  It  took  me  several 
months." 

'  Thee  was  a  little  blind,  father.  I  wasn't  going 
to  let  thee  see  how  much  I  thought  of  thee  till  I 
had  kept  thee  waiting  a  proper  time." 

'  That's  rich  !"  I  cried,  and  I  laughed  as  I  had 
not  since  my  illness.  "  How  long  is  a  proper 
time,  Mrs.  Yocomb  ?  I  remember  being  once  told 
that  a  woman  was  a  mystery  that  a  man  could 
never  solve.  I  fear  it's  true." 

"  Who  told  you  that  ?"  asked  Mr.  Hearn  ;  for  I 
think  he  noticed  my  swift  glance  at  Miss  Warren, 
who  looked  a  little  conscious. 

"As  I  think  of  it,  I  may  have  read  it  in  a 
newspaper,"  I  said  demurely. 

"I'm  not  flattered  by  your  poor  memory,  Mr. 
Morton,"  remarked  Miss  Warren  quietly.  "  I 
told  you  that  myself  when  you  were  so  mystified 
by  my  fearlessness  of  Dapple  and  my  fear  of  the 
cow." 

"  I've  learned  that  my  memory  is  sadly  treach 
erous,  Miss  Warren." 

"  A  man  who  is  treacherous  only  in  memory  may 
well  be  taken  as  a  model,"  remarked  Mr.  Hearn 
benignly. 

"  Would  you  say  that  of  one  who  forgot  to  pay 
you  his  debts  ?" 


DON'T   THINK  OF  ME.  359 

"What  do  you  owe  me,  Mr.  Morton  ?" 

"  I'm  sure  I  don't  know.  Good-will,  I  suppose 
Mrs.  Yocomb  would  suggest." 

"  Well,  sir,  I  feel  that  I  owe  you  a  great  deal  ; 
perhaps  more  than  I  realize,  as  I  recall  your  prompt 
ness  on  that  memorable  night  of  the  storm." 

"  I  was  prompt — I'll  admit  that,"  I  said  grimly, 
looking  at  the  ceiling. 

"  Mr.  Yocomb,  how  long  would  it  have  taken 
the  house  to  burn  up  if  the  fire  had  not  been  extin 
guished  ?"  Mr.  H earn  asked. 

"  The  interior,"  replied  Mr.  Yocomb  very 
gravely,  "  would  all  have  been  in  flames  in  a  very 
few  moments,  for  it's  old  and  dry." 

44  Ugh  !"  exclaimed  Adah,  shudderingly.  "  Rich 
ard—" 

I  put  my  finger  on  my  lips.  "  Miss  Adah,"  I 
interrupted,  "I'd  rather  be  struck  by  lightning 
than  hear  any  more  about  that  night." 

"Yes,"  said  Miss  Warren  desperately,  "  I  wish 
I  could  forget  that  night  forever." 

I  never  wish  to  forget  the  expression  on  your 
face,  Miss  Warren,  when  we  knew  Zillah  was  alive. 
If  that  didn't  please  God,  nothing  in  this  world 
ever  did." 

"  Oh,  hush  !"  she  cried. 

"  Emily,  I  think  you  cannot  have  told  me  all 
that  happened. ' ' 

"  I  can't  think  of  it  anymore,"  she  said  ;  and 
her  face  was  full  of  trouble.  "  I  certainly  don't 
know,  and  have  never  thought  how  I  looked." 

"  Mr.  Morton   seems  to  have  been  cool  enough 


360  A    DAY  OF  FA  TE, 

to    have   been   very   observant,"   said    the   banker 
keenly. 

"  I  was  wet  enough  to  be  cool,  sir.  Miss  War 
ren  said  I  was  not  fit  to  be  seen,  and  the  doctor 
bundled  me  out  of  the  room  for  fear  I  would 
frighten  Zillah  into  hysterics.  Hey,  Zillah  !  what 
do  you  think  of  that?" 

"  I  think  the  doctor  was  silly.  I  wouldn't  be 
afraid  of  thee  any  more  than  of  Emily." 

"  Please  let  us  talk  and  think  of  something  else," 
Miss  Warren  pleaded. 

"  I  don't  want  to  forget  what  I  owe  to  Richard," 
said  Reuben  a  little  indignantly.  I  trod  on  his  foot 
under  the  table.  *  Thee  needn't  try  to  stop  me, 
Richard  Morton,"  continued  the  boy  passionately. 
(<  I  couldn't  have  got  mother  out  alone,  and  I'd 
never  left  her.  Where  would  we  be,  Emily  Warren, 
if  it  hadn't  been  for  Richard  ?" 

"  In  heaven,"  I  said,  laughing,  for  I  was  deter 
mined  to  prevent  a  scene. 

'  Well,  I  hope  so,"  Reuben  muttered  ;  "  but  I 
don't  mind  being  in  mother's  dining-room." 

Even  Mrs.  Yocomb's  gravity  gave  way  at  this 
speech. 

As  we  rose  from  the  table,  Zillah  asked  inno 
cently, 

Emily,  is  thee  crying  or  laughing?" 

"  I  hardly  know  myself,"  she  faltered,  and  went 
hastily  to  her  room  ;  but  she  soon  came  down 
again,  looking  very  resolute. 

"  Emily,"  said  Mr.  Yocomb,  "since  thee  and 
mother  doesn't  think  music's  wicked,  I  have  a 


DON^T    THINK  OF  ME.  361 

wonderful  desire  to  hear  thee  sing  again,  "  Tell  me 
the  Old,  Old  Story/  as  thee  did  on  the  night  of  the 
storm/' 

In  spite  of  her  brave  eyes  and  braver  will,  her 
lip  trembled. 

I  was  cruel  enough  to  add,  *'  And  I  would  be  glad 
to  listen  to  the  Twelfth  Nocturne  once  more." 

For  some  reason  she  gave  me  a  swift  glance  full 
of  reproach, 

I  will  listen  to  anything/'  I  said  quickly, 

Mr.  Hearn  looked  a  little  like  a  man  who  feared 
that  there  might  be  subterranean  fires  beneath  his 
.feet. 

14  I  will  not  promise  more  than  to  be  chorister 
to-night,"  she  said,  sitting  down  to  the  piano  with 
her  back  toward  us.  "  Let  us  have  familiar  hymns 
that  all  can  sing.  Miss  Adah  has  a  s\veet  voice, 
and  Mr.  Morton,  no  doubt,  is  hiding  his  talent  in  a 
napkin.  There's  a  book  for  you,  sir,  I'm  sorry7  it 
doesn't  contain  the  music." 

"It  doesn't  matter,"  I  said;  '"I'm  equally 
familiar  with  Choctaw," 

Adela  and  Zillah,  you  come  and  stand  by  me. 
Your  little  voices  are  like  the  birds'." 

We  all  gathered  in  the  old  parlor,  and  spent  an 
hour  that  I  shall  never  forget.  I  had  a  tolerable 
tenor,  and  an  ear  made  fairly  correct  by  hearing 
much  music.  Mr,  Hearn  did  not  sing,  but  he 
seemingly  entered  into  the  spirit  of  the  occasion. 
Before  very  long  Miss  Warren  and  I  were  singing 
some  things  together.  Mr.  Hearn  no  doubt  com 
pared  our  efforts  unfavorably  with  what  he  had 


32  A   DAY  OF  FA TE. 

heard  in  the  city,  but  the  simple  people  of  the 
farm-house  were  much  pleased,  and  repeatedly 
asked  us  to  continue.  As  I  was  leaning  over  Miss 
Warren's  shoulderr  finding"  a  place  in  the  hymn- 
book  on  the  stand,  she  breathed  softly, 

"  Have  you  told  them  you  are  going  to-mor 
row  ?" 

"No, "I  replied. 

"  Can  you  leave  such  friends?" 

"Yes." 

4  You  ought  not.  It  would  hurt  them  cruelly  ;" 
and  she  made  some  runs  on  the  piano  to  hide  her 
words. 

"  If  you  say  I  ought  not  to  go,  I'll  stay —  Ah, 
this  is  the  one  I  was  looking  for, "  I  said,  in  a  matter- 
of-fact  tone  *  but  she  played  the  music  with  some 
strange  slips  and  errors  ;  her  hands  were  nervous 
and  trembling,  and  never  was  the  frightened  look 
that  I  had  seen  before  more  distinctly  visible. 

After  we  had  sung  a  stanza  or  two  she  rose  and  • 
said,  "  I  think  I'm  getting  a  little  tired,  and  the 
room  seems  warm.     Wouldn't  you  like  to  take  a 
walk?"  she  asked  Mr.  Hearn,  coming  over  to  his 
side. 

He    arose    with    alacrity,    and   they   passed    out 
together.      I  did  not  see  her  again  that  night. 

The  next  morning,  finding  me  alone  for  a  mo 
ment,  she  approached  hesitatingly  and  said, 
"  I  don't  think  I  ought  to  judge  for  you."" 
"  Do  you  wish  me  to  go  ?"   I  asked  sadly,  inter 
preting  her  thought. 

She  became  very  pale,  and  turned  away  as  she 


ZXXV'7'    THINK  OF  ME.  363 

replied,  "  Perhaps  you   had   better.     I    think   you 
would  rather  go." 

"  No,  I'd  rather  stay  ;  but  I'll  do  as  you  wish." 

She  did  not  reply,  and  went  quickly  to  her  piano. 

I  turned  and  entered  the  dining-room  where  Mrs. 
Yocomb  and  Adah  were  clearing  away  the  break 
fast.  Mr.  Yocomb  was  writing  in  his  little  office 
adjoining. 

"  I  think  it  is  time  I  said  good-by  and  went 
back  to  New  York." 

In  the  outcry  that  followed,  Miss  Warren's  piano 
became  silent. 

"  Richard  Morton  !"  Mrs.  Yocomb  began  almost 
indignantly,  "  if  thee  hasn't  any  regard  for  thyself, 
thee  should  have  some  for  thy  friends.  Thee  isn't 
fit  to  leave  home,  and  this  is  thy  home  now.  Thee 
doesn't  call  thy  hot  rooms  in  New  York  home,  so 
I  don't  see  as  thee  has  got  any  other.  Just  so  sure 
as  thee  goes  back  to  New  York  now,  thee'll  be  sick 
again.  I  won't  hear  to  it.  Thee's  just  beginning 
to  improve  a  little." 

Adah  looked  at  me  through  reproachful  tears,  but 
she  did  not  say  anything.  Mr.  Yocomb  dropped 
his  pen  and  came  out,  looking  quite  excited. 

"  I'll  send  for  Doctor  Bates  and  have  him  lay  his 
commands  on  thee,"  he  said.  "  I  won't  take 
thee  to  the  depot,  and  thee  isn't  able  to  walk  half 
way  there.  Here,  Emily,  come  and  talk  reason  to 
this  crazy  man.  He  says  he's  going  back  to  New 
York.  He  ought  to  be  put  in  a  strait-jacket. 
Doesn't  thee  think  so  ?" 

Her  laugh  was  anything  but  simple  and  natural. 


364  A    DAY   OF  FA  TE. 

As  she  said  "  I  do  indeed,"  Mr.  Hearn  had 
joined  her. 

"  What  would  thee  do  in  such  an  extreme  case 
of  mental  disorder?" 

"  Treat  him  as  they  did  in  the  good  old  times  : 
get  a  chain  and  lock  him  up  on  bread  and  water." 

"  Would  thee  then  enjoy  thy  dinner  ?" 

"  That  wouldn't  matter,  if  he  were  cured." 

"  I  think  Mr.  Morton  would  prefer  hot  New  York 
to  the  remedies  that  Emily  prescribes,"  said  Mr. 
Hearn,  with  his  smiling  face  full  of  vigilance. 

"  Richard,"  said  Mrs.  Yocomb,  putting  both  her 
hands  on  my  arm,  "  I  should  feel  more  hurt  than  I 
can  tell  thee  if  thee  leaves  us  now." 

"  Why,  Mrs.  Yocomb  !  I  didn't  think  you  would 
care  so  much." 

4  Then  thee's  very  blind,  Richard.  I  didn't  think 
thee'd  say  that." 

"  You  cut  deep  now  ;  suppose  I  must  go  ?" 

"  Why  must  thee  go,  just  as  thee  is  beginning  to 
gain  ?  Thee  is  as  pale  as  a  ghost  this  minute,  and 
thee  doesn't  weigh  much  more  than  half  as  much 
as  I  do.  Still,  we  don't  want  to  put  an  unwelcome 
constraint  on  thee." 

I  took  her  hand  in  both  ot  mine  as  I  said  ear 
nestly,  "  God  forbid  that  I  should  ever  escape  from 
any  constraint  that  you  put  upon  me.  Well,  I  won't 
go  to-day,  and  I'll  see  what  word  my  mail  brings 
me."  And  I  went  up  to  my  room,  not  trusting 
myself  to  glance  at  the  real  directress  of  my  ac 
tion,  but  hoping  that  something  would  occur  which 
would  make  my  course  clear. 


DOV'T    THINK   OF  ME.  365 

As  I  came  out  of  my  room  to  go  down  to  dinner, 
Miss  Warren  intercepted  me,  saying  eagerly, 

"  Mr.  Morton,  don't  go.  If  you  should  be  ill 
again  in  New  York,  as  Mrs.  Yocomb  says — " 

"  I  won't  be  ill  again." 

"Please  don't  go,"  she  entreated.  "I  —  I 
shouldn't  have  said  what  I  did.  You  would  be  ill  ; 
Mrs.  Yocomb  would  never  forgive  me." 

"  Miss  Warren,  I  will  do  what  you  wish." 

44  I  wish  what  is  best  for  you — only  that." 

44  I  fear  I  cloud  your  happiness.  You  are  too 
kind-hearted." 

She  smiled  a  little  bitterly.  "  Please  stay — don't 
think  of  me." 

44  Again,  I  repeat,  you  are  too  kind-hearted. 
Never  imagine  that  I  can  be  happy  if  you  are  not  ;" 
and  I  looked  at  her  keenly,  but  she  turned  away 
instantly,  saying, 

44  Well,  then,  I'll  be  very  happy,  and  will  test 
you,"  and  she  returned  to  her  room. 

14  Mrs.  Yocomb,"  I  said  quietly  at  the  dinner- 
table,  44  I've  written  to  the  office  saying  that  my 
friends  do  not  think  I'm  well  enough  to  return  yet, 
and  asking  to  have  my  leave  extended." 

She  beamed  upon  me  as  she  replied, 
Now  thee's  sensible." 

44  For  once,"  I  added. 

41  I  expect  to  see  thee  clothed  and  in  thy  right 
mind  yet,"  she  said,  with  a  little  reassuring 
nod. 

14  Your  hopeful  disposition  is  contagious,"  I  re 
plied,  laughing. 


366  A    DA  Y   OF  FA  TE. 

"  I'd  like  to  see  thee  get  to  the  depot  till  we're 
ready  to  let  thee  go,"  said  Reuben  emphatically. 

"Yes,"  added  Mr.  Yocomb,  with  his  genuine 
laugh,  "  Reuben  and  I  are  in  league  against  thee." 

"  You  look  like  two  dark, muttering  conspirators," 
I  responded. 

"  And  to  think  thee  was  going  away  without  ask 
ing  me  !"  Zillah  put  in,  shaking  her  bright  curls  at 
me. 

"  Well,  you  all  have  made  this  home  to  me,  true 
enough.  The  best  part  of  me  will  be  left  here 
when  I  do  go." 

At  these  words  Adah  gave  me  a  shy,  blushing 
smile. 

"  Mr.  Morton,  will  you  please  pass  me  the  vine 
gar,"  said  Miss  Warren,  in  the  most  matter-of-fact 
tone. 

"  Wouldn't  you  prefer  the  sugar  ?"   I  asked. 

"  No  ;   I  much  prefer  the  vinegar." 

Mr.  Hearn  also  smiled  approvingly. 

"  Don't  be  too  sure  of  your  prey,"  I  said  men 
tally.  "  If  she's  not  yours  at  heart — which  I  doubt 
more  than  ever — you  shall  never  have  her.  But 
she  puzzled  me  for  a  day  or  two.  If  she  were  not 
happy  she  simulated  it  wonderfully,  and  made  my 
poor  acting  a  flimsy  pretence  in  contrast.  She  and 
the  banker  took  long  rides  together,  and  she  was 
always  exceedingly  cheerful  on  her  return — a  little 
too  much  so,  I  tried  to  think.  She  ignored  the 
past  as  completely  as  possible,  and  while  her  man 
ner  was  kind  to  me  she  had  regained  her  old-time 
delicate  brusqueness,  and  rarely  lost  a  chance  to  give 


DON'T    THINK  OF  ME.  367 

me  a  friendly  fillip.  Indeed  I  had  never  known 
her  to  be  so  brilliant,  and  her  spirits  seemed  un 
flagging.  Mr.  Yocomb  was  delighted,  and  in  his 
large  appetite  for  fun  applauded  and  joined  in  every 
phase  of  our  home  gayety.  There  was  too  much 
hilarity  for  me,  and  my  hope  failed  steadily. 

'*  Now  that  her  conscience  is  clear  in  regard  to  me 
— now  that  I  have  remained  in  the  country,  and  am 
getting  well — her  spirits  have  come  up  with  a  bound, 
I  reasoned  moodily.  I  began  to  resume  my  old  tac 
tics  of  keeping  out  of  the  way  and  of  taking  long 
rambles  ;  but  I  tried  to  be  cheerfulness  itself  in  her 
presence. 

On  Wednesday  Miss  Warren  came  down  to  break 
fast  in  a  breezy,  airy  way,  and,  scarcely  speaking  to 
me  as  I  stood  in  the  doorway,  she  flitted  out,  and 
was  soon  romping  with  Zillah  and  Adela.  As  she 
returned,  flushed  and  panting,  I  said,  with  a  smile, 

"  You  are  indeed  happy.  I  congratulate  you.  I 
believe  I' ve  never  had  the  honor  of  doing  that  yet. 

"  But  you  said  that  you  would  be  happy  also  ?" 

"  Am  I  not?" 

"No." 

"  Well,  it  doesn't  matter,  since  you  are." 

"  Oh,  then,  I'm  no  longer  kind-hearted.  You 
take  Reuben's  view,  that  I'm  a  kind  of  heartless 
monster.  He  scarcely  speaks  to  me  any  more.  You 
think  I  propose  to  be  happy  now  under  all  circum 
stances.  " 

"  I  wish  you  would  be  ;  I  hope  you  may  be. 
What's  the  use  of  my  acting  my  poor  little  farce 
any  longer.  I  don't  deceive  you  a  mite.  But  I'm 


A  DAY  OF*  FATE. 

not  go  fug  to  mope  and  pine,  Miss  Warren.  Don't 
think  of  me  so  poorly  as  that.  I'm  not  the  first 
man  who  has  had  to  face  this  thing.  I'm  going 
back  to  work,  and  I  am  going  next  Monday,  su-rely.."" 
I've  no  doubt  of  it,"  she  said,  with-  sudden  bit 
terness,  "  and  you'll  get  over  it  bravely,  very 
bravely  ;"  and  she  started  off  toward  the  barn,  where 
Reuben  was  exercising  Dapple,  holding  him  with  a. 
long  rope.  The  horse  seemed  wild  with  life  and 
spirit,  and  did  I  not  know  that  the  beautiful  creat 
ure  had  not  a  vicious  trait  I  should  have  feared 
for  the  boy.  Just  at  this  moment,  Dapple  in  his 
play  slipped  off  his  headstall  and  was  soon  career 
ing  around  the  dooryard  in  the  mad  glee  of  free 
dom.  In  vain  Reuben  tried  to  catch  him  ;  for  the 
capricious  bea-st  would  allow  him  to  come  almost 
within-  gi-asp,  and  then  would  bound  away.  Miss 
Warren  stood  under  a  tree  laughing,  till  the  boy 
was-  hot  and  angry.  Then  she  cried r 

"  I'll  catch  him  for  you,  Reuben/' 

I  uttered  a  loud  shout  of  alarm  as  she  darted  out 
before  the  galloping  horse  and  threw  up  her  arms, 

Dapple  stopped  instantly  ;  in  another  second  she 
had  her  arm  around  his  arched'  neck  and  was  strok 
ing  his  quivering  nostrils.  Her  poise  was  full  of 
grace  and  power  ;  her  eyes  were  shining  with  excite 
ment  and  triumph,  and  to  make  her  mastery  seem 
more  complete,  she  leaned  her  face  against  his  nose. 

Dapple  looked  down  at  her  in  a  sort  of  mild 
wonder,  and  was  as  meek  as  a  lamb. 

"  There,  Reuben,  come  and  take  him,'*  she  said 
to  the  boy,  who  stared  at  her  with  his  mouth  open. 


DON'T    THINK   OF  ME.  369 

"  Emily  Warren,  I  don't  know  what  to  make  of 
thee,"  he  exclaimed. 

Never  before  had  I  so  felt  my  unutterable  loss, 
and  I  said  to  her  almost  savagely,  in  a  low  tone,  as 
she  approached, 

"  Is  that  the  means  you  take  to  cure  me— doing 
the  bravest  thing  I  ever  saw  a  woman  do,  and  look 
ing  like  a  goddess  ?  I  was  an  unspeakable  fool  for 
staying." 

Her  head  drooped,  and  she  walked  dejectedly 
toward  the  house,  not  seeming  to  think  of  or  care  for 
the  exclamations  and  expostulations  which  greeted 
her. 

"  Why,  Emily,  were  you  mad  ?"  cried  Mr.  Hearn 
above  the  rest  ;  and  now  that  the  careering  horse 
was  being  led  away  he  hastened  down  to  meet  her. 

"  No,  I'm  tired,  and  want  a  cup  of  coffee,"  I 
heard  her  say,  and  then  I  followed  Reuben  to  the 
barn. 

"  She's  cut  me  out  with  Dapple,"  said  the  boy, 
with  a  crestfallen  air. 

Already  I  repented  of  my  harshness,  into  which  I 
had  been  led  by  the  sharpest  stress  of  feeling,  and 
was  eager  to  make  amends.  Since  the  night  of  the 
storm  honest  Reuben  had  given  me  his  unwavering 
loyalty.  Still  less  than  Adah  was  he  inclined  or 
able  to  look  beneath  the  surface  of  things,  and  he 
had  gained  the  impression  from  Miss  Warren's 
words  that  she  was  inclined  to  make  light  of  their 
danger  on  that  occasion,  and  to  laugh  at  me  gen 
erally.  In  his  sturdy  championship  in  my  behalf 
he  had  been  growing  cold  and  brusque  toward  one 


A   DAY    . 

whom  he  now  associated  with  the  middle- 

aged  banker,  and  city  style  general  \ 
a  genuine  country-  lad,  and  .  hostile 

"ifth  Avenue.   While  Mr.  lie~::i  v.  as  polite  to  his 
.:id    mother,  he   quite   naturally  laid    more 
stress,  on  their  ations  than  on  those  of 

friendship,  and  was  not  slow  in  asking  for  what  he 
:ed,  and  his  luxuric .  led  him  to  require  a 

good  deal.  Reuben  had  seen  his  mother  worried  and 
Ather  inconvenienced  not  a  little.  They  made 
no  complaint,  and  had  no  cause  for  any,  for^the 
banker  paid  his  way  liberally.  But  the  boy  had  not 
reached  the  age  when  the  financial  phase  of  the  ques 
tion  was  appreciated,  and  his  prejudice  was  not  un 
natural,  for  unconsciov  ecially  at  first,  Mr. 
Hearn  had  treated  them  all  as  inferiors.  He  now 
was  learning  to  know  them  better,  however.  Theie 
was  nothing  plebeian  in  Adah's  beauty,  he  would 
have  been  untrue  to  himself  had  he  not  admired 

greatly. 

It  was  my  wish  to  lead  the  boy  to  overcome 
prejudice  again  Varren  :  so  I  said, 

are  mistaken, Reuben  ;  Dapple  is  just  as  fond 
of  you  as  ever.  It  was  only  playfulness  that  made 
him  cut  up  so  ;  but,  Reuben,  Dapple  is  a  very  sen 
sible  horse,  and  when  he  saw  a  girl  that  was  brave 
enough  to  stand  right  out  before  him  when  it 
seemed  that  he  must  run  over  her,  he  respect 
ed  and  liked  such  a  girl  at  once.  It  was  the  bm 
thing  I  ever  saw.  iher  horse  would  have 

trampled  on  her,  but   Dapple  has  the  nature  of  a 
gentleman.      So  have  you.   Reuben,  and    I    know 


DON'T   THINK  OF  ME.  37 1 

you  will  go  and  speak  handsomely  to  her.  I  know 
you  will  speak  to  her  as  Dapple  would  could  he 
speak.  By  Jove  !  it  was  splendid,  and  you  are  man 
enough  to  know  it  was," 

11  Yes,  Richard,  it  was.  I  know  that  as  well  as 
thee.  There  isn't  a  girl  in  the  county  that  would 
have  dared  to  do  it,  and  very  few  men.  And  to 
think  she's  a  city  girl!  To  tell  the  truth,  Emily 
Warren  is  all  the  time  making  game  of  thee,  and 
that's  why  I'm  mad  at  her." 

"  I  don't  think  you  understand  her.  I  don't 
mind  it,  because  she  never  means  anything  ill-na 
tured  ;  and  then  she  loves  your  mother  almost 
as  much  as  you  do.  I  give  you  my  word,  Reuben, 
Miss  Warren  and  I  are  the  best  of  friends,  and  you 
need  not  feel  as  you  do,  because  I  don't, 

"  Oh,  well,  if  thee  puts  it  that  way,  I'll  treat  her 
different.  I  tell  thee  what  it  is,  Richard,  I'm  one 
that  sticks  to  my  friends  through  thick  and  thin." 

"  Well,  you  can't  do  anything  so  friendly  to  me 
as  to  make  everything  pleasant  for  Miss  Warren. 
How  is  her  favorite,  Old  Plod?"  I  asked,  follow 
ing  him  into  the  barn. 

"  Old  Plod  be  hanged  !  She  hasn't  been  near 
him  in  two  weeks." 

"What!"   I  exclaimed  exultantly. 

"  What's  the  matter  with  thee,  Richard  ?  Thee 
and  Emily  are  both  queer.  I  can't  make  you  out." 

"  Well,  Reuben,  we  mean  well  ;  you  mustn't  ex 
pect  too  much  of  people." 


CHAPTER   XVL 


I  CAME  in  to  breakfast  with  Reuben,  feeling-  that 
Dapple  had  been  more  of  a  gentleman  than  J 
had,  for  he  had  treated  the  maiden  with  gentleness 
and  courtesy,  while  I  had  thought  first  of  myself. 
She  looked  up  at  me  as  I  entered  so  humbly  and 
deprecatingly  that  I  wished  that  I  had  bitten  my 
tongue  out  rather  than  have  spoken  so  harshly, 

Straightforward  Reuben  went  to  the  girl,  and, 
holding'  out  his  hand,  said, 

"  Emily,  I  want  to  ask  thy  forgiveness,  I've 
been  like  a  bear  toward  thee.  Thee's  the  bravest 
girl  I  ever  saw.  No  country  girl  would  have  dared 
to  do  what  thee  did.  I  didn't  need  to  have- 
Richard  lecture  me  and  tell  me  that  ;  but  I  thought 
thee  was  kind  of  down  on  Richard,  and  I've  a  way 
of  standing  by  my  friends." 

With  a  face  like  a  peony  she  turned  and  took 
both  of  the  boy's  hands  as  she  said  warmly, 

"  Thank  you,  Reuben.  I'd  take  a  much  greater 
risk  to  win  your  friendship,  and  if  you'll  give  it  to 
me  I'll  be  very  proud  of  it.  You  are  going  to  make 
a  genuine  man/' 

"Yes,  Reuben,  thee1  11  make  a  man,"  said  his 
mother,  with  a  low  laugh,  '  Thee  is  as  blind  as  a 
man  already." 

I  looked  at  her  instantly,  but  she  dropped  her  eyes 


"RICHARD."  373 

demurely  to  her  plate.      I  saw  that   Mr.  Hearn  was 
watching  me,  and  so  did  not   look  at  Miss  Warren. 

"Well, "said  he  irritably,  "I  don't  like  such 
escapades  ;  and  Emily,  if  anything  of  the  kind  hap 
pens  again,  I'll  have  to  take  you  to  a  safer  place." 

His  face  was  flushed,  but  hers  was  very  pale. 

It  won't  happen  again,"  she  said  quietly,  with 
out  looking  up. 

"  Richard,"  said  Mr.  Yocomb,  as  if  glad  to  change 
the  subject,  "  I've  got  to  drive  across  the  country 
on  some  business.  I  will  have  to  be  gone  all  day. 
Wrould  thee  like  to  go  with  me  ?" 

"  Certainly.  I'll  go  with  you  to  the  ends  of  the 
earth." 

"  That  would  be  too  far  away  from  mother. 
Thee  always  pulls  me  back  very  soon,  doesn't 
thee?" 

"Well,  I  know  thee  comes,"  replied  his  wife. 
"  Don't  tire  Richard  out  ;  he  isn't  strong  yet." 

"Richard,"  said  Mr.  Yocomb,  as  we  were  driv 
ing  up  a  long  hill,  "  I  want  to  congratulate  thee  on 
thy  course  toward  Emily  Warren.  Thee's  a  strong- 
minded,  sensible  man.  I  saw  that  thee  was  greatly 
taken  with  her  at  first,  and  no  wonder.  Besides,  I 
couldn't  help  hearing  what  thee  said  when  out  of 
thy  mind.  Mother  and  I  kept  the  children  away 
then,  and  Doctor  Bates  had  the  wink  from  me  to 
be  discreet  ;  but  thee's  been  a  sensible  man  since 
thee  got  up,  and  put  the  whole  thing  away  from 
thee  very  bravely." 

*'  Mr.  Yocomb,  I  won't  play  the  hypocrite  with 
you.  I  love  ker  better  than  my  own  soul." 


374  A    DAY  OF  FA  TE. 

"  Thee  does  ?"  he  said,  in  strong  surprise. 

"  Yes,  and  I  ought  to  have  gone  away  long  ago, 
I  fear.  How  could  I  see  her  as  she  appeared  this 
morning,  and  not  almost  worship  her?" 

The  old  gentleman  gave  a  long,  low  whistle.  "  I 
guess  mother  meant  me  when  she  said  men  were 
blind." 

I  was  silent,  not  daring,  of  course,  to  say  that  I 
hoped  she  meant  me,  but  what  I  had  heard  and 
seen  that  morning  had  done  much  to  confirm  my 
hope. 

"  Well,"  said  the  old  gentleman,  "  I  can  scarcely 
blame  thee,  since  she  is  what  she  is,  and  I  can't 
help  saying,  too,  that  I  think  thee  would  make  her 
happier  than  that  man  can,  with  all  his  money.  I 
don't  think  he  appreciates  her.  She  will  be  only  a 
part  of  his  great  possessions." 

"'Well,  Mr.  Yocomb,  I've  only  these  requests  to 
make.  Keep  this  to  yourself,  and  don't  interpose 
any  obstacles  to  my  going  next  Monday.  Don't 
worry  about  me.  I'll  keep  up  ;  and  a  man  who  will 
have  to  work  as  I  must  won't  have  time  to  mope. 
I  won't  play  the  weak  fool,  for  I'd  rather  have  your 
respect  and  Mrs.  Yocomb 's  than  all  Mr.  Hearn's 
millions  ;  and  Miss  Warren's  respect  is  absolutely 
essential  to  me." 

"  Then  thee  thinks  that  mother  and — and  Emily 
know  ?" 

"  Who  can  hide  anything  from  such  women  ? 
They  look  through  us  as  if  we  were  glass." 

"  Mother's  sermon  meant  more  for  thee  than  I 
thought." 


"RICHARD"  375 

"  Yes,  I  felt  as  if  it  were  preached  for  me.  I 
hope  I  may  be  the  better  for  it  some  day  ;  but 
I've  too  big  a  fight  on  my  hands  now  to  do  much 
else.  You  will  now  understand  why  I  wish  to  get 
away  so  soon,  and  why  I  can't  come  back  till  I've 
gained  a  strength  that  is  not  bodily.  I  wouldn't 
like  you  to  misunderstand  me,  after  you  marvellous 
kindness,  and  so  I'm  frank.  Besides,  you're  the 
kind  of  man  that  would  thaw  an  icicle.  Your  na 
ture  is  large  and  gentle,  and  I  don't  mind  letting 
you  know." 

"  Richard,  we're  getting  very  frank,  and  I'm 
going  to  be  more  so.  I  don't  like  the  way  Mr. 
Hearn  sits  and  looks  at  Adah." 

"  Oh,  you  needn't  worry  about  him.  Mr.  Hearn 
is  respectability  itself  ;  but  he's  wonderfully  fond 
of  good  things  and  pretty  things.  His  great  house 
on  Fifth  Avenue  is  full  of  them,  and  he  looks  at 
Miss  Adah  as  he  would  at  a  fine  oil  painting." 

11  Thee  speaks  charitably  of  him  under  the  cir 
cumstances. " 

"  I  ought  to  try  to  do  him  justice,  since  I  hate 
him  so  cordially," 

"  Well,"  said  the  old  gentleman,  laughing,  "  that's 
a  new  way  of  putting  it.  Thee's  honest,  Richard." 

"  If  I  wasn't  I'd  have  no  business  in  your  com-/ 
pany. " 

"I'm  worried  about  Emily,"  broke  out  the  old 
gentleman.  "  She  was  a  little  thin  and  worn  from 
her  long  season  of  work  when  she  came  to  us  lately  ; 
but  the  first  week  she  picked  up  daily.  While 
thee  was  so  sick  she  seemed  more  worried  than  any 


37 6  A    DA  Y  OF  FATE. 

one,  and  I  had  much  ado  to  get  her  to  eat  eriougj" 
to  keep  a  bird  alive  ;  but  it's  been  worse  for  the 
last  two  weeks.  She  has  seemed  much  brightei 
lately  for  some  reason,  but  the  flesh  just  seems  tc 
drop  off  of  her.  She  takes  a  wonderful  hold  of  my 
feelings,  and  I  can't  help  troubling  about  her." 

"  Mr.  Yocomb,  your  words  torture  me,"  I  cried, 
44  It  is  not  my  imagination  then.  Can  she  love  thai 
man  ?" 

"  Well,  she  has  a  queer  way  of  showing  it  ;  bul 
it  is  one  of  those  things  that  an  outsider  can't  med 
dle  with." 

I  was  moody  and  silent  the  rest  of  trie  day,  anc 
Mr.  Yocomb  had  the  tact  to  leave  me  much  to  my 
self  ;  but  I  was  not  under  the  necessity  of  acting 
my  poor  farce  before  him. 

The  evening  was  quite  well  advanced  when  we 
reached  the  farm-house  ;  but  Mrs.  Yocomb  had  i 
royal  supper  for  us,  and  she  said  every  one  had  in 
sisted  on  waiting  till  we  returned.  Mr.  Hearn  hac 
quite  recovered  his  complacency,  and  I  gatherec 
from  this  fact  that  Miss  Warren  had  been  very  de 
voted  to  him.  Such  was  his  usual  aspect  wher 
everything  was  pleasing  to  him.  But  she  who  hac 
added  so  much  to  his  life  had  seemingly  drained 
«her  own,  for  she  looked  so  pale  and  thin  that  m> 
heart  ached.  There  were  dark  lines  under  hei 
eyes,  and  she  appeared  exceedingly  wearied,  as  i; 
the  day  had  been  one  long  effort. 

"  She  cait't  love  him,"  I  thought.  "  It's  impos 
sible.  Confound  him  !  he's  the  blindest  man  of  u< 
all.  Oh  that  I  had  her  insight,  that  I  might  unrave. 


"RICHARD."  377 

this  snarl  at  once,  for  it  would  kill  me  to  see  her 
looking  like  that  much  longer.  What's  the  use  of  my 
going  away  ?  I've  been  away  all  day  ;  she  has  had 
the  light  of  his  smiling  countenance  uninterrupted 
ly,  and  see  how  worn  she  is.  Can  it  be  that  my  hate 
ful  words  hurt  her,  and  thatjshe  is  grieving  about 
me  only  ?  It's  impossible.  Unselfish  regard  for 
another  could  not  go  so  far  if  her  own  heart  was  at 
rest.  She  is  doing  her  best  to  laugh  and  talk  and 
to  seem  cheerful,  but  her  acting  now  is  poorer  than 
mine  ever  was.  She  is  tired  out  ;  she  seems  like  a 
soldier  who  is  fighting  mechanically  after  spirit, 
courage,  and  strength  are  gone. 

Mr.  Hearn  informed  Mr.  Yocomb  that  important 
business  would  require  his  presence  in  Ne\v  York 
for  a  few  days.  *'  It's  an  enterprise  that  involves  im 
mense  interests  on  both  sides  of  the  ocean,  and 
there's  to  be  quite  a  gathering  of  capitalists.  Your 
paper  will  be  full  of  it  before  very  long,  Mr.  Mor 
ton." 

"  I'm  always  glad  to  hear  of  any  grist  for  our 
mill,"  I  said.  "  Mrs.  Yocomb,  please  excuse  me. 
I'm  selfish  enough  to  prefer  the  cool  piazza." 

"  But  thee  hasn't  eaten  anything." 

"Oh,  yes,  I  have,  and  I  made  a  huge  dinner," 
I  replied  carelessly,  and  sauntered  out  and  lighted 
a  cigar.  Instead  of  coming  out  on  the  piazza.,  as 
I  hoped,  Miss  Warren  bade  Mr.  Hearn  good 
night  in  the  hall,  and,  pleading  fatigue,  went  to  her 
room. 

She  was  down  to  see  him  off  in  the  morning,  and 
at  his  request  accompanied  him  to  the  depot.  I 


37s  A    DAY   OF  FATE. 

was  reading  on  the  piazza,  when  she  returned,  and  I 
hastened  to  assist  her  from  the  rockaway. 

"  Miss  Warren,"  I  exclaimed,  in  deep  solicitude, 
"  this  long,  hot  ride  has  been  too  much  for  you." 

"  Perhaps  it  has,"  she  replied  briefly,  without 
meeting  my  eyes.  "  I'll  go  and  rest." 

She  pleaded  a  headache,  and  did  not  come  down 
to  dinner.  Mrs.  Yocomb  returned  from  her  room 
with  a  troubled  face. 

I  had  resolved  that  I  would  not  seek  to  see  her 
alone  while  Mr.  Hearn  was  away,  and  so  resumed 
my  long  rambles.  When  I  returned,  about  supper 
time,  she  was  sitting  on  the  piazza  watching  Adela 
and  Zillah  playing  with  their  dolls.  She  did  not 
look  up  as  I  took  a  seat  on  the  steps  not  far  away. 

At  last  I  began,  "  Can  I  tell  you  that  I  am  very 
sorry  you  have  been  ill  to-day  ?" 

"  I  wasn't  dangerous,  as  country  people  say,"  she 
replied,  a  little  brusquely. 

1  Yes  ;  you  look  as  if  Dapple  might  run  over  you 
now. 

"  A  kitten  might  run  over  me,  "she  replied  briefly, 
still  keeping  her  eyes  on  the  children. 

By  ard  b  T  she  asked,  "  Why  do  you  look  at  me 
so  intently,  Mr.  Morton?" 

"  I  beg  your  pardon-." 
'  That's  net  answering  my  question." 

"  Suppose    I    deny   that    I   was   looking    at  you. 
You  have  not  condescended  to  glance  at  me  yet." 
'  You  had  better  not  deny  it." 

"  Well,  then,  to  tell  you  the  truth,  as  I  find  I  al 
ways  must,  I  was  looking  for  some  trace  of  mercy.  I 


"  RICHARD '."  379 

was  thinking  whether  1  could  venture  to  ask  for 
giveness  for  being  more  of  a  brute  than  Dapple 
yesterday." 

"  Have  your  words  troubled  you  very  much." 
'  They  have  indeed." 

14  Well,  they've  troubled  me  too.  You  think  I'm 
heartless,  Mr.  Morton  ;"  and  she  arose  and  went  to 
her  piano. 

I  followed  her  instantly.  '  Won't  you  forgive 
me,"  I  asked  ;  "  I've  repented." 

4 'Oh,  nonsense,  Mr.  Morton.  You  know  as  well 
as  I  do  that  I'm  the  one  to  ask  forgiveness." 

"  No,  I  don't,"  I  said,  in  a  low,  passionate  tone. 
"  I  fear  you  are  grieving  about  what  you  can't  help." 

"  Can't  help?"  she  repeated,  flushing. 
'  Yes,  my  being  here  makes  you  unhappy.      If  I 
knew  it,  I'd  go  to-night." 

"  And  you  think  that  out  of  sight  would  be  out 
of  mind,"  she  said,  with  a  strange  smile. 

"  Great  God  !  I  don't  know  what  to  think.  I 
know  that  I  would  do  anything  under  heaven  to 
make  you  look  as  you  did  the  first  night  I  saw 
you." 

"  Do  I  look  so  badly  ?" 

'  You  look  as  if  you  might  take  wings  and  leave 
us  at  any  moment." 

*  Then  I  wouldn't  trouble  you  any  more." 

<4  Then  my  trouble  would  be  without  remedy. 
Marry  Mr.  Hearn  ;  marry  him  to-morrow  if  you 
wish.  I  assure  you  that  if  you  will  be  honestly  and 
truly  happy,  I  won't  mope  a  day — I'll  become  the 
jolliesr  old  bachelor  in  New  York.  I'll  do  anything 


3^0  A    DAY   OF  FA  TE. 

within  the  power  of  man  to  make  you  your  old  joy 
ous  self." 

•  Now  at  last  she  turned  her  large,  glorious  eyes 
upon  me,  and  their  expression  was  sadness  itself  ; 
but  she  only  said  quietly, 

"  I  believe  you,  Mr.  Morton." 
'  Then  tell  me,  what  can  I  do  ?" 
"  Come  to  supper  ;"   and  she  rose  and  left  me. 
I  went  to  my  old   seat  by  the  windoxv,   and  the 
tumult  in   my  heart  was  in  wide  contrast  with  the 
quiet  summer  evening. 

'  You  are  mistaken,  Emily  Warren,"  I  thought. 
1  You  have  as  much  as  said  that  I  can  do  nothing 
for  you.  I'll  break  your  chain.  You  shall  not 
marry  Gilbert  Hearn,  if  I  have  to  protest  in  the  very 
church  and  before  the  altar.  You  are  mine,  by  the 
best  and  divinest  right,  and  with  your  truth  as  my 
ally  I'll  win  you  yet.  From  this  hour  I  dedicate 
myself  to  your  happiness.  Heavens,  how  blind  I've 
been  !" 

Come,   Richard,"  said    Mrs.    Yocomb,   putting 
her  head  within  the  door. 

Miss  Warren  sat  in  her  place,  silent  and  apathetic, 
She  had  the  aspect  of  one  who  had  submitted  to 
the  inevitable,  but  would  no  longer  pretend  she 
liked  it.  Mr.  Yocomb  was  regarding  her  furtively, 
with  a  clouded  brow,  and  Adah's  glances  were  fre 
quent  and  perplexed.  I  felt  as  if  walking  on  air, 
and  my  heart  was  aglow  with  gladness  ;  but  I  knew 
her  far  too  well  to  show  what  was  in  my  mind.  My 
purpose  now  was  to  beguile  the  hours  till  I  could 
show  her  what  truth  really  required  of  her.  With  the 


"RICHARD"  381 

utmost  tact  that  I  possessed,  and  with  all  the  zest 
that  hope  confirmed  inspired,  I  sought  to  diffuse  a 
general  cheerfulness,  and  I  gradually  drew  her  into 
the  current  of  our  talk.  After  supper  I  told  them 
anecdotes  of  public  characters  and  eminent  people, 
for  my  calling  gave  me  a  great  store  of  this  kind  ci1 
information.  Ere  she  was  aware,  the  despondent 
girl  was  asking  questions,  and  my  answers  piqued 
her  interest  still  more  ;  at  last,  quite  late  in  the 
evening,  Mr.  Yocomb  exclaimed, 

"  Look  here,  Richard,  what  right  has  thee  to 
keep  me  out  of  my  bed  long  after  regular  hours  ? 
I'm  not  a  night  editor.  Good  people,  you  must 
all  go  to  bed.  I'm  master  of  this  house.  Now, 
don't  say  anything,  mother,  to  take  me  down." 

Finding  myself  alone  with  Miss  Warren  a  moment 
in  the  hall,  I  asked, 

Have    I    not  done   more  than   merely  come  to 
supper  ?" 

She  turned  from  me  instantly,  and  went  swiftly 
up  the  stairway. 

But  the  apathetic,  listless  look  was  on  her  face 
when  she  came  down  in  the  morning,  and  she  ap 
peared  as  if  passively  yielding  to  a  dreaded  neces 
sity.  I  resumed  my  old  tactics,  and  almost  in  spite 
of  herself  drew  her  into  the  genial  family  life.  Mr. 
Yocomb  seconded  me  with  unflagging  zeal  and  com 
mendable  tact,  while  Mrs.  Yocomb  surpassed  us 
both.  Adah  seemed  a  little  bewildered,  as  if  there 
was  something  in  the  air  which  she  could  not  un 
derstand.  But  we  made  the  social  sunshine  of  the 
house  so  natural  and  warm  that  she  could  not  resist  it. 


32  A   DA  Y  OF  FA  TE. 

'  Reuben,"  I  said,  after  breakfast,  "  Miss  War 
ren  is  not  well.  A  ride  after  Dapple  is  the  best 
medicine  I  ever  took.  Take  Miss  Warren  out  for 
a  swift,  short  drive  ;  don't  let  her  say  no.  You  have 
the  tact  to  do  the  thing  in  the  right  way. " 

She  did  decline  repeatedly,  but  he  so  persisted 
that  she  at  last  said, 

'  There,  Reuben,  I  will  go  with  you." 

"  I  think  thee  might  do  that  much  for  a  friend, 
as  thee  calls  me." 

When  she  returned  there  was  a  faint  color  in  her 
cheeks.  The  rapid  drive  had  done  her  good,  and  I 
told  her  so  as  I  helped  her  from  the  light  wagon. 

'  Yes,  Mr.  Morton,  it  has,  and  I  thank  you  for 
the  drive  very  much.  Let  me  suggest  that  Reu 
ben  is  much  too  honest  for  a  conspirator." 

*  Well,  he  was  a  very  willing  one  ;  and  I  see  by 
his  face,  as  he  drives  down  to  the  barn,  that  you 
have  made  him  a  happy  one." 

14  It  doesn't  take  much  to  make  him  happy." 

"  And  would  it  take  such  an  enormous  amount 
to  make  you  happy  ?" 

'  You  are  much  too  inclined  to  be  personal  to 
be  an  editor.  The  world  at  large  should  hold  your 
interest ;"  and  she  went  to  her  room. 

At  the  dinner-table  the  genial  spell  worked  on  ; 
she  recognized  it  with  a  quiet  smile,  but  yielded  to 
its  kindly  power.  At  last  she  apparently  formed 
the  resolution  to  make  the  most  of  this  one  bright 
day,  and  she  became  the  life  of  the  party. 

"  Emily,"  said  Mrs.  Yocomb,  as  we  rose  from 
the  table,  "  father  proposes  that  we  all  go  on  a 


"RICHARD."  383 

family  picnic  to  Silver  Pond,  and  take  our  supper 
there.  It's  only  three  miles  away.  Would  thee 
feel  strong  enough  to  go  ?" 

Mrs.  Yocomb  spoke  with  the  utmost  simplicity  and 
innocence  ;  but  the  young  girl  laughed  outright, 
then  fixed  a  penetrating  glance  on  Mr.  Yocomb, 
whose  florid  face  became  much  more  ruddy. 

"  Evidences  of  guilt  clearly  apparent,"  she  said, 
"  and  Mr.  Morton,  too,  looks  very  conscious. 
'  The  best  laid  schemes  of  mice  and  men  ' — you 
know  the  rest.  Oh,  yes,  I'd  go  if  I  had  to  be 
carried.  When  webs  are  spun  so  kindly,  flies  ought 
to  be  caught. " 

"  What  is  the  matter  with  you  all  ?"  cried  Adah. 

"  Miss  Adah,  if  you'll  find  me  a  match  for  my 
cigar  you'll  make  me  happy,"  I  said  hastily,  avail 
ing  myself  of  the  first  line  of  retreat  open. 

"Is  that  all  thee  needs  to  make  thee  happy  ?" 
'  Well,  one  thing  at  a  time,  Miss  Adah,  if  you 
please. " 

As  the  day  grew  cool,  Reuben  came  around  with 
the  family  rockaway.  Mrs.  Yocomb  and  Adah  had 
prepared  a  basket  as  large  as  their  own  generous 
natures.  I  placed  Miss  Warren  beside  Mrs.  Yo 
comb  on  the  back  seat,  while  I  took  my  place  by 
Adah,  with  Zillah  between  us.  Little  Adela  and 
Reuben  had  become  good  friends,  and  she  insisted 
on  sitting  between  him  and  his  father. 

As  \ve  rolled  along  the  quiet  country  roads,  chat 
ting,  laughing,  and  occasionally  singing  a  snatch  of 
a  song,  no  one  would  have  dreamed  that  any 
shadows  rested  on  the  party  except  those  which 


A    DA  Y  OF  FA  TE. 

slanted   eastward   from  the  trees,  which   often  hung 
far  over  our  heads, 

I  took  pains  not  to  feign  any  forced  gayety,  nor 
had  I  occasion  to,  for  I  was  genuinely  happy — hap 
pier  than  I  had  ever  been  before.  Nothing  was 
assured  save  the  absolute  truth  of  the  maiden  that 
I  loved,  but  with  this  ally  I  was  confident.  I  was 
impartial  in  my  attentions  to  Adah  and  Zillah,  and 
so  friendly  to  both  that  Adah  was  as  pleased  and 
happy  as  the  child.  We  chaffed  the  country  neigh 
bors  whom  we  met,  and  even  chattered  back  at  the 
barking  squirrels  that  whisked  before  us  along  the 
fences.  Mr.  Yocomb  seemed  almost  as  much  of 
a  boy  as  Reuben,  and  for  some  reason  Miss 
Warren  always  laughed  most  at  his  pleasantries. 
Mrs.  Yocomb  looked  as  placid  and  bright  as  Silver 
Pond,  as  it  at  last  glistened  beneath  us  in  the  breath 
less,  sunny  afternoon  ;  but  like  the  clear  surface 
fringed  with  shadows  that  sank  far  beneath  the 
water,  there  were  traces  of  many  thoughts  in  her 
large  blue  eyes. 

There  was  a  cow  lying  under  the  trees  where  we 
meant  to  spread  our  table,  I  pointed  her  out  to 
Miss  Warren  with  humorous  dismay,  "  Shall  we 
turn  back  ?"  I  asked. 

"  No,"  she  replied,  looking  into  my  eyes  grate 
fully.  '  You  have  become  so  brave  that  I'm  not 
afraid  to  go  on." 

I  ignored  her  reference  to  that  v-hich  I  intended 
she  should  forget  for  one  day,  believing  that  if  we 
could  make  her  happy  she  would  recognize  how  far 
her  golden-haloed  lover  came  short  of  this  power. 


"RICHARD."  385 

So  I  said  banteringly,  4<  I'll  wager  you  my  hat  that 
you  dare  not  get  out  and  drive  that  terrific  beast 
away. 

'  The  idea  of  Emily's  being  afraid  of  a  cow,  after 
facing  Dapple  !"  cried  Reuben. 

'  Well,  we'll  see,"  I  said.  "  Stop  the  rockaway 
here." 

'  What  should  I  do  with  your  hat,  Mr.  Morton  ?" 

1 '  Wear  it,  and  suffer  the  penalty, ' '  laughed  Adah. 
'You  would   surely  win   it,"  retorted  the  girl,  a 
little  nettled. 

"  I'll  wager  you  a  box  of  candy  then,  or  any 
thing  you  please." 

"  Let  it  be  anything  I  please,"  she  agreed,  laugh 
ing.  "  Mr.  Morton,  you  are  not  going  to  let  me 
get  out  alone." 

"  Oh,  no,"  and  I  sprang  out  to  assist  her  down. 

"  She  wants  you  to  be  on  hand  in  case  the  fero 
cious  beast  switches  its  tail,"  cried  Adah. 

The  hand  she  gave  me  trembled  as  I  helped  her 
out,  and  I  saw  that  she  regarded  the  placid  creat 
ure  with  a  dread  that  she  could  not  disguise.  Pick 
ing  up  a  little  stick,  she  stepped  cautiously  and  hesi 
tatingly  toward  the  animal.  While  still  ridiculously 
far  away,  she  stopped,  brandished  her  stick,  and 
said,  with  a  quaver  in  her  threatening  tone,  "  Get 
up,  I  tell  you  !" 

But  the  cow  ruminated  quietly  as  if  understand 
ing  well  that  there  was  no  occasion  for  alarm. 

The  maiden  took  one  or  two  more  faltering  steps, 
and  exclaimed,  in  a  voice  of  desperate  entreaty, 
"  Oh,  please  get  up  !" 


386  A    DA  Y   OF  FA  TE. 

We  could  scarcely  contain  ourselves  for  laughter. 

"  Oh,  ye  gods  !  how  beautiful  she  is  !"  I  mur 
mured.  '  With  her  arm  over  Dapple's  neck  she 
was  a  goddess.  Now  she's  a  shrinking  woman. 
Heaven  grant  that  it  may  be  my  lot  to  protect  her 
from  the  real  perils  of  life  !" 

The  cow  suddenly  switched  her  tail  at  a  teasing 
gad-fly,  and  the  girl  precipitately  sought  my  side. 

Reuben  sprang  out  of  the  rockaway  and  laid 
down  and  rolled  in  his  uncontrollable  mirth. 

'  Was  there  anything  ever  so  ridiculous?"  cried 
Adah  ;  for  to  the  country  girl  Miss  Warren's  fear 
was  affectation. 

At  Adah's  words  Miss  \Varren 's  face  suddenly 
became  white  and  resolute. 

'  You,  at  least,  shall  not  despise  me,"  she  said  to 
me  in  a  low  tone  ;  and  shutting  her  eyes  she  made  a 
blind  rush  toward  the  cow.  I  had  barely  time  to 
catch  her,  or  she  would  have  thrown  herself  on  the 
horns  of  the  startled  animal  that,  with  tail  in  air, 
careered  away  among  the  trees.  The  maiden  was  so 
weak  and  faint  that  I  had  to  support  her  ;  but  I  could 
not  forbear  saying,  in  a  tone  that  she  alone  heard, 

"  Do  we  ever  despise  that  which  we  love  su 
premely  ?" 

"  Hush  !"  she  answered  sternly. 

Mrs.  Yocomb  was  soon  at  our  side  with  a  flask  of 
currant  wine,  and  Adah  laughed  a  little  bitterly  as 
she  said,  "  It  was  *  as  good  as  a  play  !  '  Miss 
Warren  recovered  herself  speedily  by  the  aid  of  the 
generous  wine,  and  this  was  the  only  cloud  on  our 
simple  festivity.  In  her  response  to  my  ardent 


••  RICHARD:'  387 

words  the  girl  had  seemingly  satisfied  her  conscience, 
and  she  acted  like  one  bent  on  making  the  most  of 
this  one  occasion  of  fleeting  pleasure. 

Adah  was  the  only  one  who  mentioned  the 
banker.  "  How  Mr.  Hearn  would  have  enjoyed 
being  here  with  us  !"  she  exclaimed. 

Miss  Warren's  response  was  a  sudden  pallor  and 
a  remorseful  expression  ;  but  Mr.  Yocomb  and  I 
speedily  created  a  diversion  of  thought  ;  I  saw, 
however,  that  Adah  was  watching  her  with  a  per 
plexed  brow.  The  hours  quickly  passed,  and  in 
the  deepening  shadows  we  returned  homeward, 
Miss  Warren  singing  some  sweet  old  ballads,  to 
which  my  heart  kept  time. 

She  seemed  loath  to,  bring  the  evening  to  a  close, 
and  sat  down  at  the  piano.  Adah  and  I  listened, 
well  content.  Having  put  the  children  to  bed  Mrs. 
Yocomb  joined  us,  and  we  chatted  over  the  pleasant 
trip  while  waiting  for  Mr.  Yocomb  and  Reuben,  who 
had  not  returned  from  the  barn.  At  last  Mrs.  Yo 
comb  said  heartily,  as  if  summing  it  all  up, 

'  Well,  Richard,  thee's  given  us  a  bright,  merry 
afternoon." 

'  Yes,  Richard"  Miss  Warren  began,  as  if  her 
heart  had  spokeu  unawares — "  I  beg  your  pardon 
—Mr.  Morton — "  and  then  she  stopped  in  piteous 
confusion,  for  I  had  turned  toward  her  with  all  my 
unspeakable  love  in  my  face. 

Adah's  laugh  rang  out  a  little  harshly. 

I  hastened  to  the  rescue  of  the  embarrassed  girl, 
saying,  "  I  don't  see  why  you  should  beg  my  par 
don.  We're  all  Friends  here.  At  least  I'm  trying 


38  A    DA  Y  OF  FA  TE. 

to  be  one  as  fast  as  a  leopard  can  change  his  spots, 
and  the  Ethiopian  his  skin.  As  for  you,  a  tailor 
would  say  you  were  cut  from  the  same  cloth  as  Mrs. 
Yocomb. " 

But  for  some  reason  she  could  not  recover  herself. 
She  probably  realized,  in  the  tumult  of  her  feeling, 
that  she  had  revealed  her  heart  too  clearly,  and  she 
could  not  help  seeing  that  Adah  understood  her. 
She  was  too  confused  for  further  pretence,  and  too 
unnerved  to  attempt  it.  After  a  moment  of  pitiful 
hesitation  she  fled  with  a  scarlet  face  to  her  room. 

'Well,"     said    Adah,    with    a  slight   hysterical 
laugh,  "  I  understand  Emily  Warren  now." 

"  Pardon  me,  Miss  Adah,  I  don't  think  you  do," 
I  began. 

"  If  thee  doesn't  thee's  blind  indeed." 

"  I  am  blind." 

14  Be  assured  I'm  not  any  longer,"  and  with  a 
deep  angry  flush  she,  too,  left  us. 

I  turned  to  Mrs.  Yocomb,  and  taking  both  of  her 
hands  I  entreated,  "  As  you  have  the  heart  of  a 
woman,  never  let  Emily  Warren  marry  that  man. 
Help  me — help  us  both  !" 

My  poor  boy,"  she  began,  "this  is  a  serious 
matter — 

It  is  indeed,"  I  said  passionately  ;   "  it'saques- 
tion  of  life  and  death  to  us  both." 

"Well,"  she  said  thoughtfully,  "I  think  time 
and  truth  will  be  on  thy  side  in  the  end  ;  but  I 
would  advise  thee  not  to  do  or  say  anything  rash  or 
hasty.  She  is  very  resolute.  Give  her  time." 

Would  to  God  I  had  taken  her  advice  ! 


CHAPTER   XVII. 

MY    WORST     BLUNDER. 

I  SCARCELY  could  foresee  how  we  should  get 
through  the  following  day.  I  both  longed  for 
and  dreaded  it,  feeling  that  though  it  might  pass 
quietly  enough,  it  would  probably  be  decisive  in  its 
bearing  on  the  problem  of  my  life.  Miss  Warren 
would  at  last  be  compelled  to  face  the  truth  square 
ly,  that  she  had  promised  a  man  what  she  could 
not  give,  and  that  to  permit  him  to  go  on  blindly 
trusting  would  be  impossible.  The  moment  she 
realized  fully  that  she  had  never  truly  loved  him, 
and  now  never  could,  she  would  give  up  the  pre 
tence.  Then  why  should  she  not  see  that  love, 
duty,  and  truth  could  go  together  ?  That  she  had 
struggled  desperately  to  be  loyal  to  Mr.  Hearnwas 
sadly  proved  by  her  thin  face  and  wasted  form  ; 
but  with  a  nature  like  hers,  when  once  her  genuine 
love  was  evoked,  the  effort  to  repress  it  was  as 
vain  as  seeking  to  curb  a  rising  tide.  I  now  saw,  as 
I  looked  back  over  the  past  weeks,  that  her  love  had 
grown  steadily  and  irresistibly  till  it  had  overwhelm 
ed  all  save  her  will  and  conscience  ;  that  these  stood, 
the  two  solitary  landmarks  of  her  former  world.  And 
1  knew  they  would  stand,  and  that  my  only  hope  was 
to  stand  with  them.  Her  love  had  gone  out  to  me  as 
mine  had  to  her,  from  a  constraint  that  she  could 
not  resist,  and  this  fact  I  hoped  would  reveal  to  her 


39°  A    DA  Y  OF  FA  TE, 

its  sacred  right  to  live.  With  every  motive  that 
would  naturally  bind  her  to  a  man  who  could  give 
her  so  much,  her  heart  claimed  its  mate  in  one  who 
must  daily  toil  long  hours  for  subsistence.  It  would 
be  like  her  to  recognize  that  a  love  so  unthrifty  and 
unselfish  must  spring  from  the  deepest  truths  and 
needs  of  her  being  rather  than  from  any  passing 
causes.  She  would  come  to  believe  as  I  did,  that 
God  had  created  us  for  each  other. 

But  it  seemed  as  if  the  whole  world  had  changed 
and  gone  awry  when  we  sat  down  to  breakfast 
the  next  morning.  Adah  was  polite  to  me,  but 
she  was  cool  and  distant.  She  no  longer  addressed 
me  in  the  Friendly  tongue.  It  was  "you"  now. 
I  had  ceased  to  be  one  of  them,  in  her  estima 
tion.  Her  father  and  mother  looked  grave  and 
worried,  but  they  were  as  kind  and  cordial  to  me  as 
ever.  Reuben  and  the  little  girls  were  evidently 
mystified  by  the  great  change  in  the  social  atmos 
phere,  but  were  too  inexperienced  to  understand 
it.  I  was  pained  by  Adah's  manner,  but  did  not  let 
it  trouble  me,  feeling  assured  that  as  she  thought 
the  past  over  she  would  do  me  justice,  and  that 
our  relations  would  become  substantially  those  of  a 
brother  and  sister. 

But  I  was  puzzled  and  alarmed  beyond  measure 
by  Miss  Warren's  manner  and  appearance,  and  my 
feelings  alternated  between  the  deepest  sympathy 
and  the  strongest  fear.  She  looked  as  if  she  had 
grown  old  in  the  night,  and  was  haggard  from 
sleeplessness.  Her  deep  eyes  had  sunken  deeper 
than  ever,  and  the  lines  under  them  were  dark  in- 


MY  WORST  BLUNDER.  39 l 

deed,  but  her  white  face  was  full  of  a  .cold  scorn, 
and  she  held  herself  aloof  from  us  all. 

She  looked  again  as  if  capable  of  any  blind,  des 
perate  self-sacrifice. 

Simple,  honest  Mr.  Yocomb  was  sorely  perplexed, 
but  his  wife's  face  was  grave  and  inscrutable.  If  I 
had  only  gone  quietly  away  and  left  the  whole  prob 
lem  to  her,  how  much  better  it  would  have  been  ! 

I  tried  to  speak  to  Miss  Warren  in  a  pleasant, 
natural  way  ;  her  answers  were  brief  and  polite, 
but  nothing  more.  Before  the  meal  was  over  she 
excused  herself  and  returned  to  her  room.  I  felt 
almost  indignant.  What  had  I — most  of  all,  what 
had  her  kind,  true  friends,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Yocomb — 
done  to  warrant  that  cold,  half-scornful  face  ?  Her 
coming  to  breakfast  was  but  a  form,  and  she  clearly 
wished  to  leave  us  at  the  earliest  possible  moment. 
Adah  smiled  satirically  as  she  passed  out,  and  the 
expression  did  not  become  her  fair  face. 

I  strode  out  to  the  arbor  in  the  garden  and  stared 
moodily  at  the  floor,  I  know  not  how  long,  for  I 
was  greatly  mystified  and  baffled,  and  my  very  soul 
was  consumed  with  anxiety. 

She  shall  listen  to  reason,"  I  muttered  again 
and  again.  '  This  question  must  be  settled  in  ac 
cordance  with  truth — the  simple,  natural  truth — and 
nothing  else.  She's  mine,  and  nothing  shall  sepa 
rate  us — not  even  her  perverse  will  and  conscience  ;" 
and  so  the  heavy  hours  passed  in  deep  perturbation. 

At  last  I  heard  a  step,  and  looking  through  the 
leaves  I  saw  the  object  of  my  thoughts  coming 
through  the  garden,  reading  a  letter.  My  eyes 


392  A  DAY   OF  FA  TE. 

glistened  with  triumph.  '  The  chance  I  coveted 
has  come,"  I  muttered,  and  I  watched  her  intently. 
She  soon  crushed  the  letter  in  her  hand  and  came 
swiftly  toward  the  arbor,  with  a  face  so  full  of  deep 
and  almost  wild  distress  that  my  heart  relented, 
and  I  resolved  to  be  as  gentle  as  I  before  had  in 
tended  to  be  decisive  and  argumentative.  I  hastily 
changed  my  seat  to  the  angle  by  the  entrance,  so 
that  I  could  intercept  her  should  she  try  to  escape 
the  interview. 

She  entered,  and  throwing  herself  down  on  the 
seat,  buried  her  face  in  her  arm. 

"  Miss  Warren,"  I  began. 

She  started  up  with  a  passionate  gesture.  You 
have  no  right  to  intrude  on  me  now,"  she  said, 
almost  sternly. 

"  Pardon  me,  were  I  not  here  when  you  entered, 
I  would  still  have  a  right  to  come.  You  are  in  deep 
distress.  Why  must  I  be  inhuman  any  more  than 
yourself  ?  You  have  at  least  promised  me  friend 
ship,  but  you  treat  me  like  an  enemy." 
'  You  have  been  my  worst  enemy." 

"  I  take  issue  with  you  there  at  once.  I've  never 
had  a  thought  toward  you  that  was  not  most  kind 
and  loyal." 

"  Loyal  !"  she  repeated  bitterly  ;  "  that  word  in 
itself  is  a  stab." 

"  Miss  Warren,"  I  said  very  gently,  "  you  make 
discord  in  the  old  garden  to-day." 

She  dropped  her  letter  on  the  ground  and  sank 
on  the  seat  again.  Such  a  passion  of  sobs  shook 
her  slight  frame  that  I  trembled  with  apprehension. 


MY  WORST  BLUNDER.  393 

But  I  kept  quiet,  believing  that  Nature  could  care 
for  her  child  better  than  I  could,  and  that  her  out 
burst  of  feeling  would  bring  relief.  At  last,  as 
she  became  a  little  more  self-controlled,  I  said, 
gravely  and  kindly, 

'  There  must  be  some  deep  cause  for  this  deep 
grief." 

"Oh,  what  shall  I  do?"  she  sobbed.  'What 
shall  I  do  ?  I  wish  the  earth  would  open  and  s\val- 
low  me  up." 

'  That  wish  is  as  vain  as  it  is  cruel.  I  wish  you 
would  tell  me  all,  and  let  me  help  you.  I  think 
I  deserve  it  at  your  hands." 

'  Well,  since  you  know  so  much,  you  may  as  well 
know  all.  It  doesn't  matter  now,  since  every  one  will 
soon  know.  He  has  written  that  his  business  will 
take  him  to  Europe  within  a  month — that  we  must 
be  married — that  he  will  bring  his  sister  here  to 
night  to  help  me  make  arrangements.  Oh  !  oh  ! 
I'd  rather  die  than  ever  see  him  again.  I've  wrong 
ed  him  so  cruelly,  so  causelessly." 

In  wild  exultation  I  snatched  a  pocketbook  from 
my  coat  and  cried, 

Miss  Warren — Emily — do  you  remember  this 
little  York  and  Lancaster  bud  that  you  gave  me  the 
day  we  first  met  ?  Do  you  remember  my  half-jest 
ing,  random  words,  '  To  the  victor  belong  the 
spoils?  '  See,  the  victor  is  at  your  feet." 

She  sprang  up  and  turned  her  back  upon  me. 
41  Rise  !"  she  said,  in  a  voice  so  cold  and  stern  that, 
bewildered,  I  obeyed. 

She  soon  became  as  calm   as  before  she  had  been 


394  A  DA  Y  OF  FA  TR. 

passionate  and  unrestrained  in  her  grief  ;  but  it  was 
a  stony  quietness  that  chilled  and  disheartened  me 
before  she  spoke. 

It  does  indeed  seem  as  if  the  truth  between  us 
could  never  be  hidden,"  she  said  bitterly.  "You 
have  now  very  clearly  shown  your  estimate  of  me. 
You  regard  me  as  one  of  those  weak  women  of  the 
past  whom  the  strongest  carry  off.  You  have  been 
the  stronger  in  this  case — oh,  you  know  it  well !  Not 
even  in  the  house  of  God  could  I  escape  your  vigi 
lant  scrutiny.  You  hoped  and  watched  and  waited 
for  me  to  be  false.  Should  I  yield  to  you,  you 
would  never  forget  that  I  had  been  false,  and,  in 
accordance  with  your  creed,  you  would  ever  fear — 
that  is,  if  your  passion  lasted  long  enough — the 
coming  of  one  still  stronger,  to  whom  in  the  weak 
necessity  of  my  nature,  I  again  would  yield.  Low  as 
I  have  fallen,  I  will  never  accept  from  a  man  a  mere 
passion  devoid  of  respect  and  honor.  I'm  no  longer 
entitled  to  these,  therefore  I'll  accept  nothing." 

She  poured  out  these  words  like  a  torrent,  in  spite 
of  my  gestures  of  passionate  dissent,  and  my  efforts 
to  be  heard  ;  but  it  was  a  cold,  pitiless  torrent. 
Excited  as  I  was,  I  saw  how  intense  was  her  self- 
loathing.  I  also  saw  despairingly  that  she  em 
braced  me  in  her  scorn. 

"Miss  Warren,"  I  said  dejectedly,  "since  you 
are  so  unjust  to  yourself,  what  hope  have  I  ?" 

'  There  is  little  enough  for  either  of  us,"  she 
continued,  more  bitterly  ;  "  at  least  there  is  none  for 
me.  You  will,  no  doubt,  get  bravely  over  it,  as  you 
said.  Men  generally  do,  especially  when  in  their 


MY  WORST  BLUNDER.  395 

hearts  they  have  no  respect  for  the  woman  with 
whom  they  are  infatuated.  Mr.  Morton,  the  day 
of  your  coming  was  indeed  the  day  of  my  fate.  I 
wish  you  could  have  saved  the  lives  of  the  others, 
but  not  mine.  I  could  then  have  died  in  peace, 
with  honor  unstained.  But  now,  what  is  my  life 
but  an  intolerable  burden  of  shame  and  self- 
reproach  ?  Without  cause  and  beyond  the  thought 
of  forgiveness,  I've  wronged  a  good,  honorable 
man,  who  has  been  a  kind  and  faithful  friend  for 
years.  He  is  bringing  his  proud,  aristocratic  sister 
here  to-night  to  learn  how  false  and  contemptible  I 
am.  The  people  among  whom  I  earned  my  humble 
livelihood  will  soon  know  how  unfit  I  am  to  be 
trusted  with  their  daughters — that  I  am  one  who 
falls  a  spoil  to  the  strongest.  I  have  lost  every 
thing — chief  of  all  my  pearl  of  great  price — my 
truth.  What  have  I  left  ?  Is  there  a  more  im 
poverished  creature  in  the  world  ?  There  is  nothing 
left  to  me  but  bare  existence  and  hateful  memories. 
Oh,  the  lightning  was  dim  compared  with  the  vivid 
ness  with  which  I've  seen  it  all  since  that  hateful 
moment  last  night,  when  the  truth  became  evident 
even  to  Adah  Yocomb.  But  up  to  that  moment, 
even  up  to  this  hour,  I  hoped  you  pitied  me — that 
you  were  watching  and  waiting  to  help  me  to  be  true 
and  not  to  be  false.  I  did  not  blame  you  greatly  for 
your  love — my  own  weakness  made  me  lenient — and 
at  first  you  did  not  know.  But  since  you  now  openly 
seek  that  which  belongs  to  another  ;  since  you  now 
exult  that  you  are  the  stronger,  and  that  I  have  be 
come  your  spoil,  I  feel,  though  I  cannot  yet  see  and 


396  A  DA  Y   OF  FA  TE. 

realize  the  depths  into  which  I  have  fallen.  Even 
to-day  you  might  have  helped  me  as  a  friend,  and 
shown  me  how  some  poor  shred  of  my  truth  might 
have  been  saved  ;  but  you  snatch  at  me  as  if  I 
were  but  the  spoil  of  the  strongest.  Mr.  Morton, 
either  you  or  I  must  leave  the  farm-house  at  once." 

'  This  is  the  very  fanaticism  of  truth,"  I  cried 
desperately.  '  Your  mind  is  so  utterly  warped  and 
morbid  from  dwelling  on  one  side  of  this  question 
that  you  are  cruelly  unjust." 

'  Would  that  I  had  been  less  kind  and  more  just. 
I  felt  sorry  for  you,  from  the  depths  of  my  heart. 
Why  have  you  had  no  pity  for  me  ?  You  are  a  man 
of  the  world,  and  know  it.  Why  did  you  not  show 
me  to  what  this  wretched  weakness  would  lead  ?  I 
thought  you  meant  this  kindness  when  you  said  you 
wished  my  brother  was  here.  Oh  that  I  were 
sleeping  beside  him  !  I  thought  you  meant  this 
when  you  said  that  nothing  would  last,  nothing 
could  end  well  unless  built  on  the  truth.  I  hoped 
you  were  watching  me  with  the  vigilance  of  a  man 
who,  though  loving  me,  was  so  strong  and  generous 
and  honorable  that  he  would  try  to  save  me  from  a 
weakness  that  I  cannot  understand,  and  which  was 
the  result  of  strange  and  unforeseen  circumstances. 
When  you  were  so  ill  I  felt  as  if  I  had  dealt  you 
your  death-blow,  and  then,  woman-like,  I  loved 
you.  I  loved  you  before  I  recognized  my  folly. 
Up  to  that  point  we  could  scarcely  help  ourselves. 
For  weeks  I  tried  to  hide  the  truth  from  myself.  I 
fought  against  it.  I  prayed  against  it  through 
sleepless  nights.  I  tried  to  hide  the  truth  from  you 


MY  WORST  BLUNDER.  397 

most  of  all.  But  I  remember  the  flash  of  hope  in 
your  face  when  you  first  surmised  my  miserable 
secret.  It  hurt  me  cruelly.  Your  look  should 
have  been  one  of  dismay  and  sorrow.  But  I  know 
something  of  the  weakness  of  the  heart,  and  its  first 
impulse  might  naturally  be  that  of  gladness, 
although  honor  must  have  changed  it  almost  in 
stantly  into  deep  regret.  Then  I  believed  that  you 
were  sorry,  and  that  it  was  your  wish  to  help  me. 
I  thought  it  was  your  purpose  yesterday  to  show  me 
that  I  could  be  happy,  even  in  the  path  of  right 
and  duty,  that  had  become  so  hard,  though  you 
spoke  once  as  you  ought  not.  But  when  I,  un 
awares,  and  from  the  impulse  of  a  grateful  heart, 
spoke  your  name  last  night  as  that  of  my  truest  and 
best  friend,  as  I  thought,  you  turned  toward  me 
the  face  of  a  lover,  and  to-day — but  it's  all  over. 
Will  you  go  ?" 

"Are  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Yocomb  false?"   I  cried. 

No,  they  are  too  simple  and  true  to  realize  the 
truth.  Mr.  Morton,  I  think  we  fully  understand 
each  other  now.  Since  you  will  not  go,  I  shall. 
You  had  better  remain  here  and  grow  strong. 
Please  let  me  pass." 

"  I  wish  you  had  dealt  me  my  death-blow.  It 
were  a  merciful  one  compared  with  this.  No,  you 
don't  understand  me  at  all.  You  have  portrayed 
me  as  a  vile  monster.  Because  you  cannot  keep 
your  engagement  with  a  man  you  never  truly  loved, 
you  inflict  the  torments  of  hell  on  the  man  you  do 
love,  and  whom  Heaven  meant  you  to  love.  Great 
God  !  you  are  not  married  to  Gilbert  Hearn.  Have 


39s  A   DAY  OF  FA  TE. 

not  engagements  often  been  broken  for  good  and 
sufficient  reasons  ?  Is  not  the  truth  that  our  hearts 
almost  instantly  claimed  eternal  kindred  a  suffi 
cient  cause  ?  I  watched  and  waited  that  I  might 
know  whether  you  were  his  or  mine.  I  did  not  seek 
to  win  you  from  him  after  I  knew — after  I  remem 
bered.  But  when  I  knew  the  truth,  you  were  mine. 
Before  God  I  assert  my  right,  and  before  his  altar  I 
would  protest  against  your  marriage  to  any  other." 

She  sank  down  on  the  arbor  seat,  white  and  faint, 
but  made  a  slight  repellent  gesture. 

'Yes,  I'll  go,"  I  said  bitterly  ;  "  and  such  a  scene 
as  this  might  well  cause  a  better  man  than  I  to  go 
to  the  devil  ;"  and  I  strode  away. 

But  before  I  had  taken  a  dozen  steps  my  heart 
relented,  and  I  returned.  Her  face  was  again 
buried  in  her  right  arm  and  her  left  hand  hung  by 
her  side. 

I  took  it  in  both  of  my  own  as  I  said,  gently  and 
sadly, 

"  Emily  Warren,  you  may  scorn  me — you  may 
refuse  ever  to  see  my  face  again  ;  but  I  have  dedi 
cated  my  life  to  your  happiness,  and  I  shall  keep  my 
vow.  It  may  be  of  no  use,  but  God  looketh  at  the 
intent  of  the  heart.  Heathen  though  I  am,  I  can 
not  believe  he  will  let  that  June  day  when  we  first 
met  prove  so  fatal  to  us  both  :  the  God  of  whom 
Mrs.  Yocomb  told  us  wants  no  harsh,  useless  self- 
sacrifice.  You  are  not  false,  and  never  have  been. 
Mrs.  Yocomb  is  not  more  true.  I  respect  and 
honor  you,  as  I  do  my  mother's  memory,  though  my 
respect  now  counts  so  little  to  you.  I  never  meant 


MY  WORST  LLUXDER.  399 

to  wrong  you  or  pain  you  ;  I  meant  your  happiness 
first  and  always.  If  you  care  to  know,  my  future 
life  shall  show  whether  I  am  a  gentleman  or  a  vil 
lain.  May  God  show  you  how  cruelly  unjust  you 
are  to  yourself.  I  shall  attempt  no  further  self- 
defence.  Good-by." 

She  trembled  ;  but  she  only  whispered, 

"  Good-by.  Go,  and  forget." 
'  When  I  forget  you — when  I  fail  in  loving 
loyalty  to  you,  may  God  forget  me  !"  I  replied, 
and  I  hastened  from  the  garden  with  as  much 
sorrow  and  bitterness  in  my  heart  as  the  first  man 
could  have  felt  when  the  angel  drove  him  from 
Eden.  Alas  !  I  was  going  out  alone  into  a  world 
that  had  become  thorny  indeed. 

As  I  approached  the  house  Mrs.  Yocomb  hap 
pened  to  come  out  on  the  piazza.. 

I  took  her  hand  and  drew  her  toward  the  gar 
den  gate.  She  saw  that  I  was  almost  speechless 
from  trouble,  and  with  her  native  wisdom  divined 
it  all. 

"  I  did  not  take  your  advice,"  I  groaned,  "  ac 
cursed  fool  that  I  was  !  But  no  matter  about  me. 
Save  Emily  from  herself.  As  you  believe  in  God's 
mercy,  watch  over  her  as  you  watched  over  me. 
Show  her  the  wrong  of  wrecking  both  of  our  lives. 
She's  in  the  arbor  there.  Go  and  stay  with  her  till 
I  am  gone.  You  are  my  only  hope.  God  bless 
you  for  all  your  kindness  to  me.  Please  write  :  I 
shall  be  in  torment  till  I  hear  from  you.  Good- 

by-" 

I  watched    her   till    I    saw    her   enter    the  arbor, 


400  A    DA  Y  OF  FA  TE. 

then  hastened  to  the  barn,  where  Reuben  was  giv 
ing  the  horses  their  noonday  feeding. 

"  Reuben,"  I  said  quietly,  "  I'm  compelled  to  go 
to  New  York  at  once.  We  can  catch  the  afternoon 
train,  if  you  are  prompt.  Not  a  word,  old  fellow. 
I've  no  time  now  to  explain.  I  must  go,  and  I'll 
walk  if  you  won't  take  me  ;"  and  I  hastened  to  the 
house  and  packed  for  departure  with  reckless 
haste. 

At  the  foot  of  the  moody  stairway  I  met  Adah. 

<4  Are  you  going  away?"  she  tried  to  say  dis 
tantly,  with  face  averted. 

4  Yes,  Miss  Adah,  and  I  fear  you  are  glad." 

44  No,"  she  said  brokenly,  and  turning  she  gave 
me  her  hand.  "  I  can't  keep  this  up  any  longer, 
Richard.  Since  we  first  met  I've  been  very  foolish, 
very  weak,  and  thee— thee  has  been  a  true  gentle 
man  toward  me." 

14  I  wish  I  might  be  a  true  brother.  God  knows 
I  feel  like  one." 

4  Thee — thee  saved  my  life,  Richard.  I  was 
wicked  to  forget  that  for  a  moment.  Will  thee  for 
give  me  ?" 

"  I'll  forgive  you  only  as  you  will  let  me  become 
the  most  devoted  brother  a  girl  ever  had,  for  I  love 
and  respect  you,  Adah,  very,  very  much." 

Tears  rushed  into  the  warm-hearted  girl's  eyes. 
She  put  her  arms  around  my  neck  and  kissed  me. 
44  Let  this  seal  that  agreement,"  she  said,  "and 
I'll  be  thy  sister  in  heart  as  well  as  in  name." 

"  How  kind  and  good  you  are,  Adah  !"  I  fal 
tered.  44You  are  growing  like  your  mother  now. 


J/}'   WORST  BLUNDER.  4°  I 

When  you  come  to  New  York  you  will  see  how  I 
keep  my  word,"  and  I  hastened  away. 

Mr.  Yocomb  intercepted  me  in  the  path. 

"  How's  this?  how's  this?"  he  cried. 

"  I  must  go  to  New  York  at  once,"  1  said. 
44  Mrs.  Yocomb  will  explain  all.  I  have  a  message 
for  Mr.  Hearn.  Please  say  that  I  will  meet  him  at 
any  time,  and  will  give  any  explanations  to  which 
he  has  a  right.  Good-by  ;  I  won't  try  to  thank  you 
for  your  kindness,  which  I  will  value  more  and  more 
every  coming  day." 

For  a  long  time  we  rode  in  silence,  Reuben  look 
ing  as  grim  and  lowering  as  his  round,  ruddy  face 
permitted. 

At  last  he  broke  out,  "Now,  I  say,  blast  Emily 
Warren's  grandfather !" 

44  No,  Reuben,  my  boy,"  I  replied,  putting  my 
arm  around  him,  "with  all  his  millions,  I'm 
heartily  sorry  for  Mr.  Hearn." 


CHAPTER    XVIII. 
MRS.  YOCOMB'S  LETTERS. 

I    WILL  not  weary  the  reader  with  my  experi 
ences  after  arriving  at  New  York.      I  could  not 
have  felt  worse  had  I  been  driven  into  the  Dismal 
Swamp.      My  apartments  were   dusty  and  stifling, 
and  as  cheerless  as  my  feelings. 

My  editorial  chief  welcomed  me  cordially,  and 
talked  business.  "After  you  had  gone,"  ke  was 
kind  enough  to  say,  "we  learned  your  value. 
Night  work  is  too  wearing  for  you,  so  please  take 
that  office  next  to  mine.  I  feel  a  little  like  break 
ing  down  myself,  and  don't  intend  to  wait  until  I 
do,  as  you  did.  I  shall  be  off  a  great  deal  the  rest 
of  the  summer,  and  you'll  have  to  manage  things." 

"  Pile  on  work,"  I  said  ;  "I'm  greedy  for  it." 
'  Yes,"  he  replied,  laughing,  "  I  appreciate  that 
rare  trait  of  yours  ;  but  I  shall  regard  you  as  in 
subordinate  if  you  don't  take  proper  rest.  Give  us 
your  brains,  Morton,  and  leave  hackwork  to  others. 
That's  where  you  blundered  before." 

Within  an  hour  I  was  caught  in  the  whirl  of  the 
great  complicated  world,  and,  as  I  said  to  Mr.  Yo- 
comb,  I  had  indeed  no  time  to  mope.  Thank  God 
for  work  !  It's  the  best  antidote  this  world  has  for 
trouble. 

But  when  night  came  my  brain  was  weary  and 
my  heart  heavy  as  lead.  It  seemed  as  if  the  farm- 


MRS.    YO COMB'S  LETTERS.  4°3 

house  was  in  another  world,  so  diverse  was  every 
thing  there  from  my  present  life. 

I  had  given  my  up-town  address  to  Mrs.  Yocomb 
and  went  home — if  I  may  apply  that  term  to  my 
dismal  boarding-place — Tuesday  night,  feeling  as 
sured  that  there  must  be  a  letter.  Good  Mrs.  Yo 
comb  had  not  failed  me,  for  on  my  table  lay  a  bulky 
envelope,  addressed  in  a  quaint  but  clear  hand. 
I  was  glad  no  one  saw  how  my  hand  trembled  as  I 
opened  her  missive  and  read  : 

"  MY  DEAR  RICHARD  :  I  know  how  anxious  thee 
is  for  tidings  from  us  all,  and  especially  from  one 
toward  whom  thy  heart  is  very  tender.  I  will  take 
up  the  sad  story  where  thee  left  it.  Having  all  the 
facts,  thee  can  draw  thy  own  conclusions. 

"  I  found  Emily  in  an  almost  fainting  condition, 
and  I  just  took  her  in  my  arms  and  let  her  cry  like 
a  child  until  tears  brought  relief.  It  was  no  time 
for  words.  Then  I  brought  her  into  the  house  and 
gave  her  something  that  made  her  sleep  in  spite  of 
herself.  She  awoke  about  an  hour  before  Gilbert 
Hearn's  arrival,  and  her  nervous  trepidation  at  the 
thought  of  meeting  him  was  so  great  that  I  resolved 
she  should  not  see  him — at  least  not  that  night — 
and  I  told  her  so.  This  gave  her  great  relief, 
though  she  said  it  was  cowardly  in  her  to  feel  so. 
But  in  truth  she  was  too  ill  to  see  him.  Her  strug 
gle  had  been  too  long  and  severe,  and  her  nervous 
system  was  utterly  prostrated.  I  had  Doctor  Bates 
here  when  Gilbert  Hearn  came,  and  the  doctor  is 
very  discreet.  I  told  him  that  lie  muf.t  manage  so 


404  A    DA  Y   OF  FA  TR. 

that  Emily  need  not  see  the  one  she  so  feared  to 
meet  again,  and  hinted  plainly  why,  though  making 
no  reference  to  thee,  of  course.  The  doctor  acted 
as  I  wished,  not  because  I  wished  it,  but  on  pro 
fessional  grounds.  '  Miss  Warren's  future  health 
depends  on  absolute  rest  and  quiet,'  he  said  to  her 
affianced.  '  I  not  only  advise  that  you  do  not  see 
her,  but  I  forbid  it,'  for  he  was  terribly  excited — so 
was  his  sister,  Charlotte  Bradford — and  it  was  as 
much  as  we  could  do  to  keep  them  from  going  to 
her  room.  If  they  had,  I  believe  the  excitement 
would  have  destroyed  either  her  life  or  reason. 
Gilbert  Hearn  plainly  intimated  that  something  was 
wrong.  '  Very  well,  then/  I  said,  '  bring  thy  own 
family  physician,  and  let  him  consult  with  Doctor 
Bates/  and  this  he  angrily  said  he  would  do  on  the 
morrow.  The  very  fact  they  were  in  the  house 
made  the  poor  girl  almost  wild  ;  but  I  stayed  with 
her  all  night,  and  she  just  lay  in  my  arms  like  a 
frightened  child,  and  my  heart  yearned  over  her  as 
if  she  were  my  own  daughter.  She  did  not  speak 
of  thee,  but  I  heard  her  murmur  once,  '  I  was 
cruel — I  was  unjust  to  him.' 

"  In  the  morning  she  was  more  composed,  and  I 
made  her  take  strong  nourishment,  I  can  tell  thee. 
Thee  remembers  how  I  used  to  dose  thee  in  spite 
of  thyself. 

"  Well,  in  the  morning  Emily  seemed  to  be 
thinking  deeply  ;  and  by  and  by  she  said,  '  Mrs. 
Yocomb,  I  want  this  affair  settled  at  once.  I  want 
you  to  sit  by  me  while  I  write  to  him,  and  advise 
me.'  I  felt  she  was  right.  Her  words  were  about 


MRS.    YOCOMB'S  LETTERS.  4°5 

as  follows  :  (I  asked  her  if  I  could  tell  thee  what 
she  wrote.  She  hesitated  a  little,  and  a  faint  color 
came  into  her  paleface.  'Yes/  she  said  at  last, 
'  let  him  know  the  whole  truth.  Since  so  much  has 
occurred  between  us,  I  want  him  to  know  every 
thing.  He  then  may  judge  me  as  he  thinks  best.  I 
have  a  horror  of  any  more  misunderstanding/) 

"  'You  can  never  know,  Mr.  Hearn,'  she  wrote, 
'  the  pain  and  sorrow  with  which  I  address  to  you 
these  words.  Still  less  can  you  know  my  shame 
and  remorse  ;  but  you  are  an  honorable  man,  and 
have  a  right  to  the  truth.  My  best  hope  is  that 
when  you  know  how  unworthy  I  am  of  your  regard 
your  regret  will  be  slight.  I  recall  all  your  kindness 
to  me,  and  my  heart  is  tortured  as  I  now  think  of 
the  requital  I  am  making.  Still,  justice  to  myself 
requires  that  I  tell  you  that  I  mistook  my  gratitude 
and  esteem,  my  respect  and  genuine  regard,  for  a 
deeper  emotion.  You  will  remember,  however, 
that  I  long  hesitated,  feeling  instinctively  that  I 
could  not  give  you  what  you  had  a  right  to  expect. 
Last  spring  you  pressed  me  for  a  definite  answer. 
I  said  I  would  come  to  this  quiet  place  and  think  it 
all  over,  and  if  I  did  not  write  you  to  the  contrary 
within  a  few  days  you  might  believe  that  I  had 
yielded  to  your  wishes.  I  found  myself  more  worn 
and  weary  from  my  toilsome  life  than  I  imagined. 
I  was  lonely  ;  I  dreaded  my  single-handed  struggle 
with  the  world,  and  my  heart  overflowed  with  grati 
tude  toward  you — it  does  still — for  your  kindness, 
and  for  all  that  you  promised  to  do  for  me.  I  had 
not  the  will  nor  the  disposition  to  say  no,  or  to  put 


4° 6  A    DA  Y  OF  FA  TE. 

you  off  any  longer.  Still  I  had  misgiving  ;  I  feared 
that  I  did  not  feel  as  I  ought.  When  I  received 
your  kind  letter  accepting  my  silence  as  consent,  I 
felt  bound  by  it — I  was  bound  by  it.  I  have  no  ex 
cuse  to  offer ;  I  have  no  defence  to  make.  I  can 
only  state  the  miserable  truth.  I  cannot  love  you 
as  a  wife  ought,  and  I  know  now  that  I  never  can. 
I've  tried — God  knows  I've  tried.  I'm  worn  out 
with  the  struggle.  I  fear  I  am  very  ill.  I  wrish  I 
were  dead  and  at  rest.  I  cannot  ask  you  to  think 
mercifully  of  me.  I  cannot  think  mercifully  of  my 
self.  To  meet  again  would  be  only  useless  suffer 
ing.  I  am  not  equal  to  it.  My  one  effort  now  is 
to  gain  sufficient  strength  to  go  to  some  distant 
relatives  in  the  West.  Please  forget  me. 
'  In  sorrow  and  bitter  regret, 

"  '  EMILY  WARREN.'  " 

I  started  up  and  paced  the  room  distractedly. 
'  The  generous  girl  !"  I  exclaimed,  "  she  lays  not 
a  particle  of  blame  on  me.  But,  by  Jove  !  I'd  like 
to  take  all  the  blame,  and  have  it  out  with  him  here 
and  now.  Blame  !  What  blame  is  there  ?  The 
poor  child  !  Why  can't  she  see  that  she  is  white 
as  snow  ?" 

Again  I  eagerly  turned  to  Mrs.  Yocomb's  words  : 
Emily  seemed  almost  overwhelmed  at  the 
thought  of  his  reading  this  letter.  She  is  so  gener 
ous,  so  sensitive,  that  she  saw  only  his  side  of  the 
case,  and  made  scarcely  any  allowance  for  herself. 
I  was  a  little  decided  and  plain-spoken  with  her, 
and  it  did  her  good.  At  last  I  said  to  her,  '  I  am 


.VA'S.    YOCOMB'S  LETTERS.  4°7 

not  weak-minded,  if  I  am  simple  and  plain.  Be 
cause  I  live  in  the  country  is  no  reason  why  I  do 
not  know  what  is  right  and  just.  Thee  has  no  cause 
to  blame  thyself  so  bitterly.'  '  Does  Mr.  Yocomb 
feel  and  think  as  you  do  ?  '  she  asked.  '  Of  course 
he  does/  I  replied.  She  put  her  hands  to  her 
head  and  said  pitifully,  '  Perhaps  I  am  too  distract 
ed  to  see  things  clearly.  I  sometimes  fear  1  may 
lose  my  reason.'  *  Well,  Emily,'  I  said,  '  thee  has 
done  right.  Thee  cannot  help  feeling  as  thee  does, 
and  to  go  on  now  would  be  as  great  a  wrong  to 
Gilbert  Hearn  as  to  thyself.  Thee  has  done  just  as 
I  would  advise  my  own  daughter  to  do.  Leave  all 
with  me.  Thee  need  not  see  him  again.  I  am 
going  to  stand  by  thee  ;'  and  I  left  her  quite  heart 
ened  up." 

"  Oh,  but  you  are  a  gem  of  a  woman  !"  I  cried. 
"  A  few  more  like  you  would  bring  the  millennium." 

"  Gilbert  Hearn  was  dreadfully  taken  aback  by 
the  letter  ;  but  I  must  do  him  the  justice  to  say 
that  he  was  much  touched  by  it  too,  for  he  called 
me  again  into  the  parlor,  and  I  saw  that  he  was 
much  moved.  He  had  given  his  sister  the  letter  to 
read,  and  she  muttered,  '  Poor  thing  !'  as  she  fin 
ished  it.  He  fixed  his  eyes  sternly  on  me  and  said, 
*  Mr.  Morton  is  at  the  bottom  of  this  thing.'  I  re 
turned  his  gaze  very  quietly,  and  asked,  '  What  am 
I  to  infer  by  this  expression  of  thy  opinion  to  me  ?  ' 
His  sister  was  as  quick  as  a  flash,  and  she  said 
plainly,  *  Gilbert,  these  people  were  not  two  little 
children  in  Mrs.  Yocomb's  care.'  '  Thee  is  right,' 
I  said  ;  '  I  have  not  controlled  their  actions  any  more 


A   DAY  OF  FA  TE. 

than  I  have  those  of  thy  brother.  Richard  Mor 
ton  is  absent,  however,  and  were  we  not  under 
peculiar  obligations  to  him  I  would  still  be  bound 
to  speak  for  him,  since  he  is  not  here  to  speak  for 
himself.  I  have  never  seen  Richard  Morton  do 
anything  unbecoming  a  gentleman.  Has  thee,  Gil 
bert  Hearn  ?  If  so,  I  think  thee  had  better  see 
him,  for  he  is  not  one  to  deny  thee  any  explanation 
to  which  thee  has  a  right.'  '  Why  did  he  go  to 
the  city  so  suddenly  ?  '  he  asked  angrily.  '  I  will 
give  thee  his  address,'  I  said  coldly.  '  Gilbert,'  ex 
postulated  his  sister,  '  we  have  no  right  to  cross- 
question  Mrs.  Yocomb. '  '  Since  thee  is  so  con 
siderate,'  I  said  to  her,  '  I  will  add  that  Richard 
Morton  intended  to  return  on  Second  Day  at  the 
latest,  and  he  chose  to  go  to-day.  His  action  enables 
me  to  give  thee  a  room  to  thyself.'  '  Gilbert,'  said 
the  lady,  '  I  do  not  see  that  we  have  any  reason  to 
regret  his  absence.  As  Mrs.  Yocomb  says,  you  can 
see  him  in  New  York  ;  but  unless  you  have  well 
founded  and  specific  charges  to  make,  I  think  it 
would  compromise  your  dignity  to  see  him.  Edi 
tors  are  ugly  customers  to  stir  up  unless  there  is 
good  cause.' 

I  know  one,"  I  growled,  "that  would  be  a 
particularly  ugly  customer  just  now." 

'  In  Emily  Warren's  case/  I  said,  '  it  is  differ 
ent,'  '  Mrs.  Yocomb  continued.  "  '  She  is  a 
motherless  girl  and  has  appealed  to  me  for  advice 
and  sympathy.  In  her  honest  struggle  to  be  loyal 
to  thee  she  has  worn  herself  almost  to  a  shadow,  and 
I  have  grave  fears  for  her  reason  and  her  life,  so 


AfKS.    YOCOMB'S  LETTERS.  409 

r;rcat  is  her  prostration.  She  has  for  thee,  Gilbert 
i learn,  the  sincerest  respect  and  esteem,  and  the 
feeling  that  she  has  wronged  thee,  even  though  she 
cannot  help  it,  seems  almost  to  crush  her.'  '  Gil 
bert,'  said  his  sister  warmly,  'you  cannot  blame 
her,  and  you  certainly  ought  to  respect  her.  If  she 
were  not  an  honest-hearted  girl  she  would  never 
have  renounced  you  with  your  great  wealth.'  He 
sank  into  a  chair  and  looked  very  white.  '  It's  a 
terrible  blow,'  he  said  ;  '  it's  the  first  severe  reverse 
I've  ever  had.'  '  Well,'  she  replied,  '  I  know  from 
your  character  that  you  will  meet  it  like  a  man  and 
a  gentleman.'  4  Certainly,'  he  said,  with  a  deep 
breath,  '  I  cannot  do  otherwise.'  I  then  rose  and 
bowed,  saying,  '  You  will  both  excuse  me  if  I  am 
with  my  charge  much  of  the  time.  Adah  will  at 
tend  to  your  wants,  and  I  hope  you  will  feel  at 
home  so  long  as  it  shall  please  you  to  stay.* 

"  By  Jove  !  but  her  tact  was  wonderful.  Not  a 
diplomat  in  Europe  could  have  done  better.  The 
innocent-looking  Quakeress  was  a  match  for  them 
both." 

'  Then  I  went  back  to  Emily,"  Mrs.  Yocomb 
wrote,  "  and  I  found  her  in  a  pitiable  state  of  ex 
citement.  When  I  opened  the  door  she  started  up 
apprehensively,  as  if  she  feared  that  the  man  with 
whom  she  had  broken  would  burst  in  upon  her  with 
bitter  reproaches.  I  told  her  everything  ;  for  even 
I  cannot  deceive  her,  she  is  so  quick.  Her  mind 
was  wonderfully  lightened,  and  I  soon  made  her 
sleep  again.  She  awoke  in  the  evening  much 
quieter,  but  she  cried  a  good  deal  in  the  night,  and 


410  A  DAY   OF  FATE, 

I  think  she  was  thinking  of  thee  more  than  of  her 
self  or  of  him.  I  wish  thee  had  waited  until  all  this 
was  over,  but  I  think  all  will  come  out  right." 

"  Oh,  the  unutterable  fool  that  I  was  !"  I 
groaned  ;  "  I'm  the  champion  blunderer  of  the 
world." 

'  Well,  Richard,  this  is  the  longest  letter  I  ever 
wrote,  and  I  must  bring  it  to  a  close,  for  my 
patient  needs  me.  I  will  write  soon  again,  and  tell 
thee  everything.  Good-night. 

"  Second  Day.  P.S. — I  left  my  letter  open  to 
add  a  postscript.  Gilbert  Hearn  and  his  sister  left 
this  morning.  The  former  at  last  seemed  quite 
calm  and  resigned,  and  was  very  polite.  His  sister 
was  too.  She  amused  me  not  a  little.  I  do  not  think 
that  her  heart  was  greatly  set  on  the  match,  and  she 
was  not  so  troubled  but  that  she  could  take  an  inter 
est  in  our  quiet,  homely  ways.  I  think  we  seemed 
to  her  like  what  you  city  people  call  bric-a-brac, 
but  she  was  too  much  of  a  lady  to  let  her  curiosity 
become  offensive.  'She  took  a  great  fancy  to  Adah, 
especially  as  she  saw  that  Adela  was  very  fond  of 
her,  and  she  persuaded  her  brother  to  leave  the 
child  here  in  our  care,  saying  that  she  was  improving 
wonderfully.  He  did  not  seern  at  all  averse  to  the 
plan.  Adah  is  behaving  very  nicely,  if  I  do  say  it, 
and  showed  a  great  deal  of  quiet,  gentle  dignity. 
She  and  Charlotte  Bradford  had  a  long  chat  in  the 
evening  about  Adela.  Adah  says,  '  Send  Richard 
my  love  ;  '  and  if  I  put  in  all  the  messages  from 
father,  Reuben,  and  Zillah,  they  would  fill  another 
sheet. 


J/A'S:   YOCOAfB'S  LETTERS.  411 

"  I  asked  Emily  if  she  had  any  message  for  thee. 
She  buried  her  face  in  the  pillow  and  murmured, 
'  Not  now,  not  yet  ;  '  but  after  a  moment  she  turned 
toward  me,  looking  white  and  resolute.  '  Tell  him,' 
she  said,  '  to  forgive  me  and  forget.'  Be  patient, 
Richard.  Wait. 

'  Thine  affectionately, 

"  RUTH  YOCOMB." 

Forget  !"  I  shouted.  '  Yes,  when  I  am  annihi 
lated,"  and  I  paced  my  room  for  hours.  At  last, 
exhausted,  I  sought  such  rest  as  I  could  obtain, 
but  my  last  thought  was,  "  God  bless  Ruth  Yo- 
comb.  I  could  kiss  the  ground  she  had  trodden." 

The  next  morning  I  settled  do\vn  to  my  task  of 
waiting  and  working,  resolving  that  there  must  be 
no  more  nights  like  the  last,  in  which  I  had  wasted 
a  vast  amount  of  vital  force.  I  wrote  to  Mrs.  Yo- 
comb;  and  thanked  her  from  a  full  heart.  I  sent 
messages  to  all  the  family,  and  said,  "  Tell  Adah 
I  shall  keep  her  love  warm  in  my  heart,  and  that  I 
send  her  twice  as  much  of  mine  in  return.  Like  all 
brothers,  I  shall  take  liberties,  and  will  subscribe  in 
her  behalf  for  the  two  best  magazines  in  the  city. 
Give  Miss  Warren  this  simple  message  :  The  words 
I  last  spoke  to  her  shall  ever  be  true." 

I  also  told  Mrs.  Yocomb  of  my  promotion,  and 
that  I  was  no  longer  a  night-owl. 

Toward  the  end  of  the  week  came  another  bulky 
letter,  which  I  devoured,  letting  my  dinner  grow 
cold. 

"  Our  life   at   tlve   farm-house   has  become    very 


412  A   DAY   OF  FATE. 

quiet,"  she  wrote.  "  Emily  improves  slowly,  for  her 
nervous  system  has  received  a  severe  strain.  I 
told  her  that  thee  had  sent  messages  to  all  the 
family,  and  asked  if  she  did  not  expect  one.  '  I've 
no  right  to  any — there's  no  occasion  for  any/  she 
faltered  ;  but  her  eyes  were  very  wistful  and  en 
treating.  'Well,'  I  said,  'I  must  clear  my  con 
science,  and  since  he  sent  thee  one,  I  must  give  it. 
He  writes,  '  Say  to  Miss  Warren  in  reply,  that  the 
last  words  I  spoke  to  her  shall  ever  be  true. '  I  sup 
pose  thee  knows  what  he  means,'  I  said,  smiling; 
I  don't.'  She  buried  her  face  in  the  pillow  again  ; 
but  I  think  thy  message  did  her  good,  for  she  soon 
fell  asleep,  and  looked  more  peaceful  than  at  any 
time  yet." 

At  last  there  came  a  letter  saying,  "  Emily  has 
left  us  and  gone  to  a  cousin — a  Mrs.  Vining< — who 
resides  at  Columbus,  Ohio.  She  is  much  better,  but 
very  quiet — very  different  from  her  old  self.  Father 
put  her  on  the  train,  and  she  will  have  to  change 
cars  only  once.  '  Emily, '  I  said  to  her,  '  thee  can 
not  go  away  without  one  word  for  Richard.'  She 
was  deeply  moved,  but  her  resolute  will  gained  the 
mastery.  '  I  am  trying  to  act  for  the  best,'  she 
said.  '  He  has  appealed  to  the  future  :  the  future 
must  prove  us  both,  for  there  must  be  no  more  mis 
takes.'  'Does  thee  doubt  thyself,  Emily?'  'I 
have  reason  to  doubt  myself,  Mrs.  Yocomb, '  she 
replied.  '  But  what  does  thy  heart  tell  thee  ?  '  A 
deep  solemn  look  came  into  her  eyes,  and  after  a 
few  moments  she  said,  '  Pardon  me,  my  dear  friend, 
if  I  do  not  answer  you  fully.  Indeed,  I  would 


J/A'.V.    )'OCOJf£'S  LETTERS.  4*3 

scarcely  know  how  to  answer  you.  I  have  entered 
on  an  experience  that  is  new  and  strange  to  me.  I 
am  troubled  and  frightened  at  myself.  I  want  to 
go  away  among  strangers,  where  I  can  think  and 
grow  calm.  I  want  to  be  alone  with  my  God.  I 
should  always  be  weak  and  vacillating  here.  More 
over,  Mr.  Morton  has  formed  an  impression  of  me, 
of  which,  perhaps,  I  cannot  complain.  This  im 
pression  may  grow  stronger  in  his  mind.  It  has  all 
been  too  sudden.  His  experiences  have  been  too 
intermingled  with  storm,  delirium,  and  passion. 
He  has  not  had  time  to  think  any  more  than  I 
have.  In  the  larger  sphere  of  work  to  which  you 
say  he  has  been  promoted  he  may  find  new  inter 
ests  that  will  be  absorbing.  After  a  quiet  and  dis 
tant  retrospect  he  may  thank  me  for  the  course  I 
am  taking.'  '  Emily  !  '  I  exclaimed,  '  for  so  tender 
hearted  a  girl  thee  is  very  strong.'  '  No,'  she  re 
plied,  4  but  because  I  have  learned  my  weakness 
I  am  going  away  from  temptation.'  I  then 
asked,  '  is  thee  willing  I  should  tell  Richard  what 
thee  has  said  ?  '  After  thinking  for  some  time  she 
answered,  '  Yes,  let  everything  be  based  on  the 
simple  truth.  But  tell  him  he  must  respect  my 
action — he  must  leave  me  to  myself.'  The  after 
noon  before  she  left  us,  Adah  and  Reuben  went 
over  to  the  village  and  got  some  beautiful  rose 
buds,  and  Adah  brought  them  up  after  tea.  Emily 
was  much  touched,  and  kissed  her  again  and  again. 
Then  she  threw  herself  into  my  arms  and  cried  for 
nearly  an  hour,  but  she  went  away  bravely.  I 
never  can  think  of  it  with  dry  eyes.  Zillah  was 


A    DAY   OF  FATE. 

heart-broken,  and  Reuben  clung  to  her  in  a  way  that 
surprised  me.  He  has  been  very  remorseful  that 
he  treated  her  badly  at  one  time.  Adah  and  I 
were  mopping  our  eyes,  and  father  kept  blowing  his 
nose  like  a  trumpet.  She  gave  way  a  little  at  the 
last  moment,  for  Reuben  ran  down  to  the  barn  and 
brought  out  Dapple  that  she  might  say  good-by  to 
him,  and  she  put  her  arms  around  the  pretty  creat 
ure's  neck  and  sobbed  for  a  moment  or  two.  I 
never  saw  a  horse  act  so.  He  followed  her  right 
up  to  the  rockaway  steps.  At  last  she  said,  '  Come, 
let  us  go,  quick  !  '  I  shall  never  forget  the  scene, 
and  I  think  that  she  repressed  so  much  feeling  that 
we  had  to  express  it  for  her.  She  kissed  little 
Adela  tenderly,  and  the  child  was  crying  too.  It 
seemed  as  if  we  couldn't  go  on  and  take  up  our 
every-day  life  again.  I  wouldn't  have  believed  that 
one  who  was  a  stranger  but  a  short  time  ago  could 
have  gotten  such  a  hold  upon  our  hearts,  but  as  I 
think  it  all  over  I  do  not  wonder.  Dear  little  Zil- 
lah  reminds  me  of  what  I  owe  to  her.  She  is  very 
womanly,  but  she  is  singularly  strong.  As  she 
was  driven  away  she  looked  up  at  thy  window,  so 
thee  may  guess  that  thee  was  the  last  one  in  her 
thoughts.  Wait,  and  be  patient.  Do  just  as  she 
says. 

I  am  glad  that  my  editorial  chief  did  not  see  me 
as  I  read  this  letter,  for  I  fear  I  should  have  been 
deposed  at  once.  Its  influence  on  me,  however, 
was  very  satisfactory  to  him,  for  if  ever  a  man  was 
put  on  his  mettle  I  felt  that  I  had  been. 

'  Very  well,  Emily  Warren,"  I   said,  "we  have 


J/A'.V.    yOCOJWS  LETTERS.  4T5 

both  appealed  to  the  future:  let  it  judge  us."  I 
worked  and  tried  to  live  as  if  the  maiden's  clear 
dark  eyes  were  always  on  me,  and  her  last  lingering 
glance  at  the  window  from  which  I  had  watched 
her  go  to  meet  the  lover  that,  for  my  sake,  she 
could  not  marry,  was  a  ray  of  steady  sunshine.  She 
did  not  realize  how  unconsciously  she  had  given  me 
hope. 

A  few  days  later  I  looked  carefully  over  our  sub 
scription  list.  Her  paper  had  been  stopped,  and  I 
felt  this  keenly  ;  but  as  I  was  staring  blankly  at  the 
obliterated  name  a  happy  thought  occurred  to  me, 
and  I  turned  to  the  letter  V.  With  a  gleam  of 
deep  satisfaction  in  my  eyes  I  found  the  address, 
Mrs.  Adelaide  Vining,  Columbus,  Ohio. 

"  Now  through  the  editorial  page  I  can  write  to 
her  daily,"  I  thought. 

Late  in  September  my  chief  said  to  me, 

"  Look  here,  Morton,  you  are  pitching  into  every 
dragon  in  the  country.  I  don't  mind  fighting  three 
or  four  evils  or  abuses  at  a  time,  but  this  general 
onslaught  is  raising  a  breeze." 

'  With  your  permission,  I  don't  care  if  it  becomes 
a  gale,  as  long  as  we  are  well  ballasted  with  facts." 
4  Well,  to  go  back  to  my  first  figure,  be  sure 
you  are  well  armed  before  you  attack.  Some  of 
the  beasts  are  old  and  tough,  and  have  awful  stings 
in  their  tails.  The  people  seem  to  like  it,  though, 
from  the  way  subscriptions  are  coming  in." 

But  I  wrote  chiefly  for  one  reader.  He  would 
have  opened  his  eyes  if  I  had  told  him  that  a  young 
music-teacher  in  Columbus,  Ohio,  had  a  large  shave 


41 6  A    DA  Y  OF  FA  7'F. 

in  conducting  the  journal.  Over  my  desk  in  my 
rooms  I  had  had  framed,  in  illuminated  text,  the 
words  she  had  spoken  to  me  on  the  most  memorable 
day  of  my  life. 

'  The  editor  has  exceptional  opportunities,  and 
might  be  the  knight-errant  of  our  age.  If  in  ear 
nest,  and  on  the  right  side,  he  can  forge  a  weapon 
out  of  public  opinion  that  few  evils  could  resist. 
He  is  in  just  the  position  to  discover  these  dragons 
and  drive  them  from  their  hiding-places." 

The  spirit  that  breathed  in  these  words  I  tried  to 
make  mine,  for  I  wished  to  feel  and  think  as  she 
did.  While  I  maintained  my  individuality  of 
thought  I  never  touched  a  question  but  that  I  first 
looked  it  from  her  standpoint.  I  labored  for  weeks 
over  an  editorial  entitled  '  Truth  versus  Con 
science,"  and  sent  it  like  an  arrow  into  the  West. 


CHAPTER    XIX. 

ADAH. 

I  HEARD  often  from  the  farmhouse,  and  learned 
that  Mr.  Hearn  had  gone  to  Europe  almost 
immediately,  but  that  he  had  returned  in  the  latter 
part  of  September,  and  had  spent  a  week  with  his 
little  girl,  Mrs.  Bradford,  his  sister,  accompanying 
him.  '  They  seem  to  think  Adela  is  doing  so 
well,"  Mrs.  Yocomb  wrote,  "that  they  have  de 
cided  to  leave  her  here  through  October.  Adah 
spends  part  of  every  forenoon  teaching  the  little 
girls."  In  the  latter  part  of  November  I  received 
a  letter  that  made  my  heart  beat  thick  and  fast. 

11  We  expect  thee  to  eat  thy  Thanksgiving  dinner 
with  us,  and  we  expect  also  a  friend  from  the  West. 
I  think  she  will  treat  thee  civilly.  At  any  rate  we 
have  a  right  to  invite  whom  we  please.  We  drew  up 
a  petition  to  Emily,  and  all  signed  it.  Father  added 
a  direful  postscript.  He  said,  '  If  thee  won't  come 
quietly,  I  will  go  after  thee.  Thee  thinks  I  am  a 
man  of  peace,  but  there  will  be  commotion  and  vio 
lence  in  Ohio  if  thee  doesn't  come  ;  so  strong  willed 
as  thee  is,  thee  has  got  to  yield  for  once.'  She 
wrote  father  the  funniest  letter  in  reply,  in  which 
she  agreed,  for  the  credit  of  the  Society  of  Friends, 
not  to  provoke  him  to  extremities.  She  doesn't 
know  thee  is  coming,  but  I  think  she  knows  me 
well  enough  to  be  sure  that  thee  would  be  invited. 
Emily  writes  that  she  will  not  return  to  New  York 


A   DA  Y  OF  FATE. 

to  live,  since  she  can  obtain  more  scholars  than  she 
needs  at  Columbus." 

Vocomb  also  added  that  Adah  had  left 
home  that  day  for  quite  an  extended  visit  in  the 
city,  and  she  gave  me  her  address. 

I  had  written  to  Adah  more  than  once,  and  had 
made  out  quite  a  programme  of  what  we  should  do 
when  she  came  to  town. 

Quite  early  in  the  evening  I  started  out  to  call 
upon  her,  but  as  I  drew  near  the  house  I  saw  that 
a  handsome  coupe  stood  before  the  door,  drawn  by 
two  horses,  and  that  the  coachman  was  in  liven*. 
My  steps  were  speedily  arrested,  for  the  door  of  the 
dwelling  was  opened,  and  Mr.  Hearn  came  out,  ac 
companied  by  Adah.  They  entered  the  coupe  and 
e  driven  rapidly  toward  Fifth  Avenue.  I  gave 
a  long,  low  whistle,  and  took  two  or  three  turns 
around  the  block,  muttering,  "Gilbert  H  earn,  but 
you  are  shrewd.  If  you  can't  have  the  best  thing 
in  the  world,  you'll  have  the  next  best.  Come  to 
think  of  it,  she  is  the  best  for  him.  If  this  cc 
about  for  Adah,  I  could  throw  my  hat  over  yonder 

pfe-*' 

I  went  back  to  the  house  proposing  to  leave  my 
card,  and  thus  show  Adah  that   I  was  not   inatten 
tive.     The  interior  of  the  dwelling,  like   i:~ 
rior,  was  plain,  but   ver  :.mtial   and   cleg 

The   sen-ant    handed    my  card    to   a  lady  pas- 
through  the  hall. 

.     thee    is    Richard     Mortc  --aid. 

usin   Ruth  and  Adah  have  told  us  all  about 
thee.     Please  come  in,  for  I  want  to  make  thy 


ADAH.  419 

quaintance.     Adah  will  be  so  sorry  to  miss  thee. 
She  has  gone  out  for  the  evening." 

"  If  she  will  permit  me,"  I  said.  "  I  will  call  to 
morrow,  on  my  way  down  town,  for  I  wish  to  see 
her  ven*  much." 

"  Do  so,  by  all  means.  Come  whenever  thee 
can,  and  informally.  Thee'll  always  find  a  welcome 
here." 

Before  I  was  aware  I  had  spent  an  hour  in  pleas 
ant  chat,  for  with  the  Yocombs  as  mutual  friends 
we  had  common  interests* 

Mrs.    Winfield,  my  hostess,  had  all  the  elegance 

of   Mrs.    Bradford  ;    but   there  was  also  a  simple, 

friendly   heartiness    in   her   manner   that    stamped 

ry  word  she  spoke  with  sincerity.     I  was  greatly 

pleased,  and  felt  that  the  wealthy  banker  and  his 

;r  could  find  no  fault  with  Adah's  connections. 

-  :e  greeted  me  the  next  morning  like  the  sister 
she  had  become  in  very  truth. 

"Oh,  Richard  !"    she  exclaimed.  "  I'm  so  glad 
to  see  thee.     Why  !  thee's  so  improved  I'd  ha r 
know  thee.     Seems  to  me  thee's  grown  taller  and 
larger  even*  way. 

"  I  fear  I  looked  rather  small  sometimes  in  the 
cour: 

"  Xo,  Richard,  thee  never  looked  small  to  me  ; 
but  when  I  think  what  I  was  when  thee  found  me, 
I  don't  wonder  thee  went  up  to  thy  room  in  dis 
gust,  I've  thought  a  great  deal  since  that  day,  and 
I've  read  some  too." 

**  If  you  knew  how  proud  of  you  I  am  now,  it 
would  turn  your  head." 


420  A    DA  Y   OF  FA  TE. 

"  Perhaps  ;  it  isn't  very  strong.  So  thee's  going 
to  eat  thy  Thanksgiving  dinner  at  home.  I  shall 
be  well  out  of  the  way." 

'  You  will  never  be  in  my  way  ;  but  perhaps  I 
might  have  been  in  somebody's  way  had  I  come 
earlier  last  night." 

I  thought  thee  was  blind,"  she  said,  an   exqui 
site  color  coming  into  her  beautiful  face. 

"  Never  to  your  interests,  Adah.  Count  on  me 
to  the  last  drop." 

"  Oh,  Richard  thee  has  been  so  kind  and  helpful 
to  me.  Thee'll  never  know  all  that's  in  my  heart. 
When  I  think  what  I  was  when  I  first  knew  thee, 
I  wonder  at  it  all." 

"Adah,"  I  said,  taking  her  hand,  "you  have 
become  a  genuine  woman.  The  expression  of  your 
face  has  changed,  and  it  has  become  a  fine  example 
of  the  truth,  that  even  beauty  follows  the  law  of 
living  growth — from  within  outward.  Higher 
thoughts,  noble  principle,  and  unselfishness  are 
making  their  impress.  After  our  long  separation  I 
see  the  change  distinctly,  and  I  feel  it  still  more. 
You  have  won  my  honest  respect,  Adah  ;  I  predict 
for  you  a  happy  life,  and,  what  is  more,  you  will 
make  others  happy.  People  will  be  the  better  for 
being  with  you." 

"  Well,  Richard,  now  that  we  are  brother  and 
sister,  I  don't  mind  telling  thee  that  it  was  thee 
who  woke  me  up.  I  was  a  fool  before  thee  came." 

"  But  the  true,  sweet  woman  was  in  your  nature 
ready  to  be  awakened.  Other  causes  would  soon 
have  produced  the  same  effect." 


ADAH.  4-1 

"  Possibly  ;  but  I  don't  know  anything  about 
other  causes.  I  do  know  thee,  and  I  trust  thee 
with  my  whole  heart,  and  I'm  going  to  talk  frankly 
with  thee  because  I  want  to  ask  thy  advice.  Thee 
knows  how  near  to  death  I  came.  I've  thought 
a  great  deal  about  it.  Having  come  so  near  losing 
life,  I  began  to  think  what  life  meant — what  it  was — 
and  I  was  soon  made  to  see  how  petty  and  silly  my 
former  life  had  been.  My  heart  just  overflowed 
with  gratitude  toward  thee.  When  thee  was  so  ill 
I  would  often  lie  awake  whole  nights  thinking  and 
trembling  lest  thee  should  die.  I  felt  so  strangely, 
so  weak  and  helpless,  that  I  stretched  out  my 
hands  to  thee,  and  thy  strong  hands  caught  and 
sustained  me  through  that  time  when  I  was  neither 
woman  nor  child.  Thee  never  humiliated  me  by 
even  a  glance.  Thee  treated  me  with  a  respect 
that  I  did  not  deserve,  but  which  "I  want  to  de 
serve.  I  am  not  strong,  like  Emily  Warren,  but  I 
am  trying  to  do  right.  Thee  changed  a  blind  im 
pulse  into  an  abiding  trust  and  sisterly  affection. 
Thee  may  think  I'm  giving  thee  a  strange  proof  of 
my  trust.  I  am  going  to  tell  thee  something  that 
I've  not  told  any  one  yet.  Last  evening  Gilbert 
Hearn  took  me  to  see  his  sister,  Mrs.  Bradford,  and 
I  spent  the  evening  with  them  and  little  Adela. 
Coming  home  he  asked  me  to  be  his  wife.  I  was 
not  so  very  greatly  surprised,  for  he  spent  every 
First  Day  in  October  at  our  house  while  Adela  was 
with  us,  and  he  was  very  attentive  to  me.  Father 
and  mother  don't  like  it  very  much,  but  I  think 
they  are  a  little  prejudiced  against  him  on  thy  ac- 


422  A  DA  V   OF  FAT  I-:. 

count.      I  believe  thee  will  tell  me  the  truth  about 
him." 

"  Adah  dear,  you  have,  honored  me  greatly.  I 
will  advise  you  just  as  I  would  my  own  sister. 
What  did  you  answer  him  last  evening  ?" 

I  told  him  that  I  was  a  simple  country  girl,  and 
not  suited  to  be  his  wife.  Then  he  said  that  he  had 
a  right  to  his  own  views  about  that.  He  said  he 
wanted  a  genuine  wife — one  that  would  love  him 
and  his  little  girl,  and  not  a  society  woman,  who 
would  marry  him  for  his  money." 
'  That  is  exceedingly  sensible." 
'  Yes,  he  said  he  wanted  a  home,  and  that  he 
was  fond  of  quiet  home  life  ;  that  I  came  of  a  quiet, 
sincere  people,  and  that  he  had  seen  enough  of  me 
to  know  that  he  could  trust  me.  He  said  also  that 
I  could  be  both  a  mother  and  a  companion  to 
Adela,  and  that  the  child  needed  just  such  a  dis 
position  as  I  had." 

I  laughed  as  I  said,  "  Mr.  Hearn  is  sagacity  it 
self.  Even  Solomon  could  not  act  more  wisely 
than  he  is  seeking  to  act.  But  what  does  your 
heart  say  to  all  this,  Adah  ?" 

Her  color  deepened,  and  she  averted  her  face. 
"  Thee  will  think  I'm  dreadfully  matter-of-fact, 
Richard,  but  I  think  that  perhaps  we  are  suited  to 
each  other.  I've  thought  about  it  a  great  deal. 
As  I  said  before,  my  head  isn't  very  strong.  I 
couldn't  understand  half  the  things  thee  thinks  and 
writes  about.  I've  seen  that  clearly.  He  wouldn't 
expect  a  wife  to  understand  his  business,  and  he 
says  he  wants  to  forget  all  about  it  when  he  comes 


A  DA  If.  423 

home.  He  says  he  likes  a  place  full  of  beauty,  re 
pose,  and  genial  light.  He  likes  quiet  dinner  parties 
made  up  of  his  business  friends,  and  not  literary 
people  like  thee.  We  haven't  got  great,  inquiring- 
minds  like  thee  and  Emily  Warren." 

'  You  are  making  fun  of  me  now,  Adah.      I  fear 
Miss  Warren  has  thrown  me  over  in  disgust." 

"  Nonsense,  Richard.  She  loves  thy  little  finger 
more  than  I  am  capable  of  loving  any  man.  She  is 
strong  and  intense,  and  she  could  go  with  thee  in 
thought  wherever  thee  pleases.  I'm  only  Adah." 

"Yes,  you  are  Adah,  and  the  man  who  has  the 
reputation  of  having  the  best  of  everything  in  the 
city  wants  you  badly,  and  with  good  reason.  But 
I  want  to  know  what  you  want." 

'•  I  want  to  know  what  thee  thinks  of  it.  I  want 
thee  to  tell  me  about  him.  Does  thee  know  any 
thing  against  him  ?" 

"  No,  Adah.  Even  when  I  feared  he  would  dis 
appoint  my  dearest  hope,  I  told  your  mother  that 
he  was  an  honorable  man.  He  is  exceedingly 
shrewd  in  business,  but  I  never  heard  of  his  doing 
anything  that  was  not  square.  I  think  he  would 
make  you  a  very  kind,  considerate  husband,  and, 
as  he  says,  you  could  do  so  much  for  his  little  girl. 
But,  rich  as  he  is,  Adah,  he  is  not  rich  enough  for 
you  unless  you  can  truly  love  him." 

I  think  I  can  love  him  in  my  quiet  way.  I 
think  I  would  be  happy  in  the  life  I  would  lead 
with  him.  I'm  fond  of  housekeeping,  and  very  fond 
of  pretty  things  and  of  the  city,  as  thee  knows. 
Then  I  could  do  so  much  for  them  all  at  home. 


424  A    DAY   OF  FATE. 


Father  and  mother  are  growing  old.  Father  lent 
money  some  years  ago,  and  lost  it,  and  he  and 
mother  have  to  work  too  hard.  I  could  do  so  much 
for  them  and  for  Zillah,  and  that  would  make  me 
happy.  But  I  am  so  simple,  and  I  know  so  little, 
that  I  fear  I  can't  satisfy  him." 

"  I  have  no  fear  on  that  score.  What  I  am 
anxious  about  is,  will  he  satisfy  you  ?  You  can't 
realize  how  bent  upon  your  happiness  I  am." 

I  thank  thee,  Richard.  I  was  not  wrong  in 
coming  to  thee.  Well,  I  told  him  that  I  wanted  to 
think  it  all  over,  and  I  asked  him  to  do  the  same. 
He  said  he  had  fully  made  up  his  mind,  and  that 
his  sister  heartily  approved  of  his  course,  and  had 
advised  it.  He  said  that  he  would  wait  for  me  as 
long  as  I  pleased.  Now  if  thee  thinks  it's  best, 
thy  words  would  have  much  influence  with  father 
and  mother." 

I  raised  her  hand  to  my  lips,  and  said  feelingly, 
"  Adah,  I  am  very  grateful  for  this  confidence.  I 
feel  more  honored  that  you  should  have  come  to 
me  than  if  I  had  been  made  Governor.  In  view  of 
what  you  have  said,  I  do  think  it's  best.  Mr. 
Hearn  will  always  be  kind  and  considerate.  He 
will  be  very  proud  of  you,  and  you  will  grow  rapidly 
in  those  qualities  that  will  adorn  your  high  social 
position.  Do  not  undervalue  yourself.  Gilbert 
Hearn  may  well  thank  God  for  you  everyday  of  his 
life." 

I  went  down  to  the  office  in  a  mood  to  write  an 
interminable  Thanksgiving  editorial,  for  it  seemed 
as  if  the  clouds  were  all  breaking  away. 


CHAPTER    XX. 

T  IT  A  X  K  S  G  I  V  I  N  G    DAY. 

ON  the  day  before  Thanksgiving  one  of  my 
associates  clapped  me  on  the  shoulder,  and 
said,  laughing, 

"Morton,  what's  the  matter?  You  are  as 
nervous  as  a  girl  on  her  wedding-day.  I've  spoken 
to  you  twice,  and  you've  not  answered.  Has  one 
of  the  dragons  got  the  best  of  you  ?" 

I  woke  up,  and  said  quietly,  "  It  isn't  a  dragon 
this  time." 

Oh,  how  vividly  that  evening  comes  back  to  me, 
as  I  \valked  swiftly  up  town  !  It  would  have  been 
torture  to  have  ridden  in  a  lumbering  stage  or  crawl 
ing  street-car.  I  scarcely  knew  what  I  thrust  into 
my  travelling  bag.  I  had  no  idea  what  I  ate  for 
dinner,  and  only  remember  that  I  scalded  myself 
slightly  with  hot  coffee.  Calling  a  coupe,  I  dashed 
off  to  a  late  train  that  passed  through  the  village 
nearest  to  the  farmhouse. 

It  had  been  arranged  that  I  should  come  the  fol 
lowing  morning,  and  that  Reuben  should  meet  me, 
but  I  proposed  to  give  them  a  surprise.  I  could 
not  wait  one  moment  longer  than  I  must.  I  had 
horrible  dreams  in  the  stuffy  little  room  at  the  vil 
lage  inn,  but  consoled  myself  with  the  thought 
that  "  dreams  go  by  contraries." 

After  a  breakfast  on  which  mine  host  cleared  two 


A    DA  Y   OF  FA  TE. 

hundred  per  cent,  I  secured  a  light  wagon  and 
driver,  and  started  for  the  world's  one  Mecca  for 
me.  My  mind  was  in  a  tumult  of  mingled  hope  and 
fear,  and  I  experienced  all  a  young  soldier's  trepida 
tion  when  going  into  his  first  battle.  If  she  had 
not  come  :  if  she  would  not  listen  to  me.  The  cold 
perspiration  would  start  out  on  my  brow  at  the 
very  thought.  What  a  mockery  Thanksgiving 
day  would  ever  become  if  my  hopes  were  disappoint 
ed.  Even  now  I  cannot  recall  that  interminable 
ride  without  a  faint  awakening  of  the  old  unrest. 

When  within  half  a  mile  of  the  house  I  dis 
missed  my  driver,  and  started  on  at  a  tremendous 
pace  ;  but  my  steps  grew  slower  and  slower,  and 
when  the  turn  of  the  road  revealed  the  dear  old 
place  just  before  me,  I  leaned  against  a  wall  faint 
and  trembling.  I  marked  the  spot  on  which  I  had 
stood  when  the  fiery  bolt  descended,  and  some 
white  shingles  indicated  the  place  on  the  mossy 
roof  where  it  had  burned  its  way  into  the  home  that 
even  then  enshrined  my  dearest  treasures.  I  saw  the 
window  at  which  Emily  Warren  had  directed  the 
glance  that  had  sustained  my  hope  for  months.  I 
looked  wistfully  at  the  leafless,  flowerless  garden, 
where  I  had  first  recognized  my  Eve.  '  Will  her 
manner  be  like  the  present  aspect  of  that  garden  ?" 
I  groaned.  I  saw  the  arbor  in  which  I  had  made 
my  wretched  blunder.  I  had  about  broken  myself 
of  swearing,  but  an  ugly*  expression  slipped  out  (I 
hope  the  good  angel  makes  allowances  for  human 
nature).  Recalling  the  vow  1  had  made  in  that 
arbor,  I  snatched  up  my  valise  and  did  not  stop 


THANKSGIVING  DA  Y.  427 

till  I  had  mounted  the  piazza.  Further  suspense 
was  unendurable.  My  approach  had  been  unnoted, 
nor  had  I  seen  any  of  the  family.  Noiselessly  as 
possible  I  opened  the  door  and  stood  within  the 
hallway.  I  heard  Mrs.  Yocomb's  voice  in  the 
kitchen.  Reuben  was  whistling  up-stairs,  and  Zillah 
singing  her  doll  to  sleep  in  the  dining-room.  I  took 
these  sounds  to  be  good  omens.  If  she  had  not 
come  there  would  not  have  been  such  cheerfulness. 

With  silent  tread  I  stole  to  the  parlor  door.  At 
my  old  seat  by  the  window  was  Emily  Warren,  writ 
ing  on  a  portfolio  in  her  lap.  For  a  second  a  blur 
came  over  my  vision,  and  then  I  devoured  her  with 
my  eyes  as  the  famishing  would  look  at  food. 

Had  she  changed  ?  Yes,  but  only  to  become 
tenfold  more  beautiful,  for  her  face  now  had  that 
indescribable  charm  which  suffering,  nobly  endured, 
imparts.  I  could  have  knelt  to  her  like  a  Catholic 
to  his  patron  saint. 

She  felt  my  presence,  for  she  looked  up  quickly. 
The  portfolio  dropped  from  her  lap  ;  she  was 
greatly  startled,  and  instinctively  put  her  hand  to 
her  side  ;  still  I  thought  I  saw  welcome  dawning  in 
her  eyes  ;  but  at  this  moment  Zillah  sprang  into 
my  arms  and  half  smothered  me  with  kisses.  Her 
cries  of  delight  brought  Reuben  tearing  dowrn  the 
stairs,  and  Mrs.  Yocomb,  hastening  from  the 
kitchen,  left  the  mark  of  her  floury  arm  on  the  col 
lar  of  my  coat  as  she  gave  me  a  motherly  salute. 
Their  welcome  was  so  warm,  spontaneous,  and 
real  that  tears  came  into  my  eyes,  for  I  felt  that  I 
was  no  longer  a  lonely  man  without  kindred. 


428  A    DA  Y  OF  FA  TR. 

But  after  a  moment  or  two  I  broke  away  from 
them  and  turned  to  Miss  Warren,  for  after  all  my 
Thanksgiving  day  depended  upon  her. 

She  had  become  very  pale,  but  her  eyes  were 
glistening  at  the  honest  feeling  she  had  witnessed. 

I  held  out  my  hand,  and  asked,  in  a  low  voice, 
"  May  I  stay?" 

I  could  not  send  you  away  from  such  friends, 
Mr.  Morton,"  she  said  gently,  "  even  had  I  the 
right,"  and  she  held  out  her  hand. 

I  think  I  hurt  it,  for  I  grasped  it  as  if  I  were 
drowning. 

Reuben  had  raced  down  to  the  barn  to  call  his 
father,  who  now  followed  him  back  at  a  pace  that 
scarcely  became  his  age  and  Quaker  tenets. 

!<  Richard,"  he  called,  as  soon  as  he  saw  me, 
"welcome  home!  Thee's  been  a  long  time  com 
ing,  and  yet  thee's  stolen  a  march  on  us  after  all. 
Reuben  was  just  going  for  thee.  How  did  thee  get 
here  ?  There's  no  train  so  early. " 

"  Oh,  I  came  last  night.  A  ship's  cable  couldn't 
hold  me  the  moment  I  could  get  away." 

"  Mother,  I  think  that's  quite  a  compliment  to 
us  old  people, ' '  he  began,  with  the  humorous  twinkle 
that  I  so  well  remembered  in  his  honest  eyes. 
"  Has  thee  seen  Adah  ?" 

"Yes,  indeed,  and  she  sent,  more  love  than  I 
could  carry  to  you  all.  She  looked  just  lovely,  and 
I  nearly  forgot  to  go  down  town  that  morning." 

Miss  Warren  was  about  to  leave  the  room,  but 
the  old  gentleman  caught  her  hand  and  asked, 

"  Where  is  thee  going,  Emily  ?" 


THANKSGIVING  DAY.  429 

"  Pardon  me  ;  I  thought  you  would  all  have  much 
to  say  to  Mr.  Morton." 

"  So  we  have,  to  be  sure.  We  won't  get  half 
through  to-day,  but  that's  no  reason  for  thy  leaving 
us.  We  are  all  one  family  under  this  roof,  thank 
God,  and  I'm  going  to  thank  him  to-day  in  good 
old  style  and  no  make-believe;"  and  he  kept  her 
hand  as  she  sat  down  by  him. 

"  If  you  knew  how  homesick  I've  often  been  you 
would  realize  how  much  good  your  words  do  me," 
she  replied  gratefully. 

"  So  thee's  been  homesick,  has  thee  ?  Well,  thee 
didn't  let  us  know." 

"What  good  would  it  have  done?  I  couldn't 
come  before. " 

"  Well,  I  am  kind  of  glad  thee  was  homesick. 
The  missing  wasn't  all  on  our  side.  Why,  Richard, 
thee  never  saw  such  a  disconsolate  household  as  we 
were  after  Emily  left.  I  even  lost  my  appetite — 
didn't,  I  mother? — and  that's  more  than  I've  done 
for  any  lady  since  Ebenezer  Holcomb  cut  me  out  of 
thy  company  at  a  picnic — let  me  see,  how  many 
years  ago  is  it,  mother?" 

'  Thee  doesn't  think  I  remember  such  foolish 
ness,  I  hope,"  said  the  old  lady  ;  but  with  a  rising 
color  almost  pretty  as  the  blush  I  had  seen  so  re 
cently  on  Adah's  face. 

Mr.  Yocomb  leaned  back  and  laughed.  "  See 
mother  blush,"  he  cried.  "  Poor  Ebenezer  !" 

'  Thee'll  want  more  than  light  nonsense  for  thy 
dinner  by  and  by,  so  I  must  go  back  to  the 
kitchen.' 


43°  A    DA  Y   OF  FA  TE. 

As  she  turned  away  she  gave  a  sweet  suggestion 
of  the  blushing  girl  for  whom  Ebenezer  had  sighed 
in  vain,  and  I  said  emphatically,  "  Yes,  indeed,  Mr. 
Yocomb,  you  may  well  say  '  Poor  Ebenezer  !  ' 
Mow  in  the  world  did  he  ever  survive  it  ?" 
'  Thee's  very  sympathetic,  Richard." 

Miss  Warren  looked  at  him  threateningly. 

I  tried  to  laugh  it  off,  and  said,  "  Even  if  he  had 
a  millstone  for  a  heart,  it  must  have  broken  at 
such  a  loss." 

"  Oh,  don't  thee  worry.  He's  a  hale  and  hearty 
grandfather  to-day." 

Miss  Warren  broke  into  a  laugh  that  set  all  my 
nerves  tingling.  '  Yes,"  she  cried,  "  I  thought  it 
would  end  in  that  way." 

/  Why,  Emily,  bless  thee  !"  said  Mrs.  Yocomb, 
running  in,  "I  haven't  heard  thee  laugh  so  since 
thee  came." 

She's   at    her  old   tricks,"    said   her  husband; 
"  laughing  at  Richard  and  me." 

I  found  her  merriment  anything  but  reassur 
ing,  and  I  muttered  under  my  breath,  "  Perdition 
on  Ebenezer  and  his  speedy  comfort  !  I  hope  she 
don't  class  me  with  him." 

Very  soon  Mrs.  Yocomb  appeared  again,  and 
said,  "  Father,  thee  must  take  them  all  out  to  drive. 
I  can't  do  anything  straight  while  I  hear  you  all 
talking  and  laughing,  for  my  thoughts  are  with 
you.  I've  put  salt  into  one  pie  already.  A  Thanks 
giving  dinner  requires  one's  whole  mind." 

Bustle,  bustle,  all  get  ready.    Mother's  mistress 
of  this  house  on   Thanksgiving  day,  if  at  no  other 


7 y/.-j <VA  ,V(,Y  r/.\  •(.;  />  j r.  43 i 

time.  We're  commanded  to  obey  the  '  powers 
that  be,'  and  if  the  woman  who  can  get  up  such  a 
dinner  as  mother  can  isn't  a  '  power,'  I'd  like  to 
know  where  we'll  find  one.  I'm  very  meek  and 
icspectful  on  Thanksgiving  morning.  Get  on  thy 
wraps,  Emily.  No  mutiny  before  dinner." 

She  seemed  very  ready  to  go,  for  I  think  she 
dreaded  being  left  alone  with  me.  I,  too,  was  glad 
to  gain  time,  for  I  was  strangely  unnerved  and 
apprehensive.  She  avoided  meeting  my  eyes,  and 
was  inscrutable. 

In  a  few  moments  we  were  in  the  family  rocka- 
way,  bowling  over  the  country  at  a  grand  pace. 

"Mother's  shrewd,"  said  Mr.  Yocomb  ;  "she 
knew  that  a  ride  like  this  in  the  frosty  air  would 
give  us  an  appetite  for  any  kind  of  a  dinner,  but 
it  will  make  hers  taste  like  the  Feast  of  Tabernacles. 
Let  'em  go,  Reuben,  let  'em-go  !" 

"  Do  you  call  this  a  Quaker  pace?"  asked  Miss 
Warren,  who  sat  with  Zillah  on  the  back  seat. 

'Yes,  I'm  acting  just  as  I  feel  moved.  Thee's 
much  too  slow  for  a  Friend,  F.mily.  Now  I'll  wager 
thee  a  plum  that  Richard  likes  it.  Doesn't  thee, 
Richard?" 

"  Suppose  a  wheel  should  come  off,"  I  suggested. 
'I'm    awfully    nervous    to-day.       I    was    sure    the 
train   would   break  down  or  run  off  the  track  last 
night  ;  then  I  had  horrible  dreams  at  the  hotel." 

'  Why,  Mr.  Morton  !"  Miss  WTarren  exclaimed, 
"  what  did  you  eat  for  supper  ?" 

'  Bless  me  !  I  don't  know.  Come  to  think  of 
it,  I  didn't  have  any," 


43 2  ^   DAY  OF  FATE. 

Did  thee  have  any  breakfast?"   asked  Mr.  Yo- 
comb,  who  seemed  greatly  amused. 

"  I  believe  so.      I  went  through  the  motions." 

"  Drive  slow,  Reuben  ;  Richard's  afraid  he'll 
have  his  neck  broken  before  dinner;"  and  they  all 
had  a  great  laugh  at  my  expense. 

I've    won    the    plum     this    time,"    cried    Miss 
Warren.. 

'  Thee   has   indeed,    and   thee   deserves    it    sure 
enough." 

I  looked  around  at  her,  but  could  not  catch  her 
eye.  My  efforts  to  emulate  Mr.  Yocomb's  spirit 
\vere  superhuman,  but  my  success  was  indifferent. 
I  was  too  anxious,  too  doubtful  concerning  the  girl 
who  was  so  gentle  and  yet  so  strong.  She  had  far 
more  quietude  and  self-mastery  than  I,  and  with 
good  reason,  for  she  was  mistress  of  the  situation. 
Still,  I  gathered  hope  every  hour,  for  I  felt  that  her 
face  would  not  be  so  happy,  so  full  of  brightness,  if 
she  proposed  to  send  me  away  disappointed, 
or  even  put  me  off  on  further  probation.  Never 
theless,  my  Thanksgiving  day  would  not  truly 
begin  until  my  hope  was  confirmed. 

Dinner  was  smoking  on  the  table  when  we  re 
turned,  and  it  was  so  exceedingly  tempting  that  I 
enjoyed  its  aroma  with  much  of  Mr.  Yocomb's  satis 
faction,  and  I  sat  down  at  his  right,  feeling  that  if 
one  question  were  settled  I  would  be  the  most 
thankful  man  in  the  land. 

We  bowed  our  heads  in  grace  ;  but  after  a  moment 
Mr.  Yocomb  arose,  and  with  uplifted  face  repeated 
words  that  might  have  been  written  for  the  occa- 


THANKSGIVING  DA  Jr.  433 

sion,  so  wonderfully  adapted  to  human  life  is  the 
Book  of  God. 

"  Bless  the  Lord,  O  my  soul  :  and  all  that  is 
within  me,  bless  his  holy  name. 

"  Bless  the  Lord,  O  my  soul,  and  forget  not  all  his 
benefits  : 

"  Who  forgiveth  all  thine  iniquities  ;  who  heal- 
eth  all  thy  diseases  ; 

"  Who  redeem eth  thy  life  from  destruction  ; 
who  crowneth  thee  with  lovingkindness  and  tender 
mercies. 

"  Who  satisfieth  thy  mouth  with  good  things  ;  so 
that  thy  youth  is  renewed  like  the  eagles." 

Never  was  there  a  grace  so  full  of  grace  before. 
If  a  kind  earthly  father  looks  with  joy  on  his  happy 
children,  so  surely  the  divine  Father  must  have 
smiled  upon  us.  In  the  depths  of  my  heart  I  re 
spected  a  faith  that  was  so  simple,  genuine,  and  full 
of  sunshine.  Truly,  it  had  come  from  heaven,  and 
not  from  the  dyspeptic  creeds  of  cloistered  theolo 
gians. 

"  Father,"  cried  Zillah,  "thee  looked  like  my 
picture  of  King  David." 

'  Well  I'm  in  a  royal  mood,"  replied  her  father, 
"  and  I  don't  believe  King  David  ever  had-half  so 
good  a  dinner  as  mother  has  provided.  Such  a 
dinner,  Richard,  is  the  result  of  genius.  All  the 
cook-books  in  the  world  couldn't  account  for  it,  and 
I  don't  believe  mother  has  read  one  of  them." 

*  Thee  must  give  Cynthia  part  of  the  credit," 
protested  his  wife. 

"She's   the   woman    who   says  '  Lord    a   massy/ 


434  A    DAY   OF  FA  TE. 

and  insists  that  I  was  struck  with  lightning,  isn't 
she?"  and  I  gknced  toward  Miss  Warren,  but  she 
wouldn't  meet  my  eye.  Her  deepening  color  told 
of  a  busy  memory,  however.  Mr.  Yocomb  began 
to  laugh  so  heartily  that  he  dropped  his  knife  and 
fork  on  the  table  and  leaned  back  in  his  chair  quite 
overcome. 

44  Father,  behave  thyself,"  his  wife  remonstrated. 

At  last  the  old  gentleman  set  to  work  in  good 
earnest.  "  Emily,"  he  said,  "  this  is  that  innocent 
young  gobbler  that  thee  so  commiserated.  Thee 
hasn't  the  heart  to  eat  him,  surely." 

44  I'll  take  a  piece  of  the  breast,  if  you  please." 

4  Wouldn't  thee  like  his  heart  ?" 

"  No,  I  thank  you." 

'  What  part  would  thee  like,  Richard  ?" 

"  Anything  but  his  wings  and  legs.  They  would 
remind  me  how  soon  I  must  go  back  to  awful  New 
York." 

44  Not  before  Second  Day." 

4  Yes,  sir,  to-morrow  morning.  An  editor's  play- 
spells  are  few  and  far  between." 

4  Well,  Richard,  thee  thrives  on  work,"  said 
Mrs.  Yocomb. 

'  Yes,   I've  found  it  good  for  me.' 

44  And  you  have  done  good  work,  Mr.  Morton," 
added  Miss  Warren.  "  I  like  your  paper  far  better 
now." 

44  But  you  stopped  it." 

"  Did  you  find  that  out  ?" 

44  Indeed  I  did,  and  very  quickly." 

14  My  cousin,  Mrs.  Vining,  took  the  paper." 


THANKSGIVING  DA  Y.  435 

"  Yes,  I  know  that,  too." 

'  Why,  Mr.-  Morton  !  do  you  keep  track  of  all 
your  readers  ?  The  circulation  of  your  paper  can 
not  be  large." 

"  I  looked  after  Mrs.  Vining  carefully,  but  no 
farther. 

"  I  shall  certainly  tell  her  of  your  interest,"  she 
said,  with  her  old  mirthful  gleam. 

"  Please  do.  The  people  at  the  office  would  be 
agape  with  wonder  if  they  knew  of  the  influence 
resulting  from  Mrs.  Vining's  name  being  on  the 
subscription  list." 

"  Not  a  disastrous  influence,  I  trust  ?" 

"  It  has  occasioned  us  some  hot  work.  My  chief 
says  that  nearly  all  the  dragons  in  the  country  are 
stirred  up." 

"  And  some  of  them  have  been  sorely  wounded 
--I've  noted  that  too,"  said  the  girl,  flushing  with 
pleasure  in  spite  of  herself. 

'  Yes,  please  tell  Mrs.  Vining  that  also.  Credit 
should  be  given  where  it's  due." 

Her  laugh  now  rang  out  with  its  old-time  genu 
ineness.  "  Cousin  Adelaide  would  be  more  agape 
than  the  people  of  your  office.  I  think  the  dragons 
owe  their  tribulations  to  your  disposition  to  fight 
them." 

"  If  you  could  see  some  words  in  illuminated  text 
over  my  desk  you  would  know  better." 

"  Mr.  Yocomb,  don't  you  think  we  are  going  to 
have  an  early  winter?"  she  asked  abruptly,  with 
a  fine  color  in  her  face. 

"  I   don't   think   it's  going  to  be  cold — not  very 


43  6  A    DA  Y  OF  FA  TE 

cold,  Emily.  There  are  prospects  of  a  thaw  to 
day  ;"  and  the  old  gentleman  leaned  back  in  his 
chair  and  shook  with  suppressed  merriment. 

"  Father,  behave  thyself.  Was  there  ever  such  a 
man  !"  Mrs.  Yocomb  exclaimed  reproachfully. 

"  I  know  you  think  there  never  was  and  never 
will  be,  Mrs.  Yocomb,"  I  cried,  controlling  myself 
with  difficulty,  for  the  old  gentleman's  manner  was 
irresistibly  droll  ;  and  instead  of  the  pallor  that 
used  to  make  my  heart  ache,  Miss  -Warren's  face 
was  like  a  carnation  rose.  My  hope  grew  apace,  for 
her  threatening  looks  at  Mr.  Yocomb  contained  no 
trace  of  pain  or  deep  annoyance,  while  the  embar 
rassment  she  could  not  hide  so  enhanced  her  loveli 
ness  that  it  was  a  heavy  cross  to  withhold  my  eager 
eyes.  Reuben  kindly  came  to  our  relief,  for  he 
said, 

I   tell  thee  what   it  is,  mother:   I   feel  as  if  we 
ought  to  have  Dapple  in  here  with  us." 

"Emily,  wouldn't  thee  rather  have  Old  Plod?" 
Mr.  Yocomb  asked. 

"  No  !"  she  replied  brusquely  ;  and  this  set  her 
kind  tormentor  off  once  more. 

But  an  earnest  look  soon  came  into  his  face,  and 
he  said,  with  eyes  moist  with  feeling, 

'  Well,  this  is  a  time  of  thanksgiving,  and  never 
before  in  all  my  life  has  my  heart  seemed  so  full  of 
gladness  and  gratitude.  Richard,  I  crept  in  this 
old  home  when  I  was  a  baby,  and  I  whistled  through 
the  house  just  as  Reuben  does.  In  this  very  room 
my  dear  old  father  trimmed  my  jacket  for  me,  God 
bless  him  !  Oh,  I  deserved  it  richlv  ;  but  mother's 


THANKSGIVING   DA  Y.  437 

sorrowful  looks  cut  deeper,  I  can  tell  thee.  It  was 
to  this  home  I  brought  the  prettiest  lass  in  the 
county — what  am  I  saying  ? — the  prettiest  lass  in  the 
world.  No  offence  to  thee,  Emily  ;  thee  wasn't 
alive  then.  If  every  man  had  such  a  home  as  thee 
has  made  for  me  and  the  children,  mother,  the  mil 
lennium  would  begin  before  next  Thanksgiving. 
In  this  house  my  children  were  born,  and  here  they 
have  played.  I've  seen  their  happy  faces  in  every 
nook  and  corner,  and  with  everything  I  have  a  dear 
association.  In  this  home  we  bade  good-by  to 
our  dear  little  Ruth  ;  she's  ours  still,  mother,  and 
she  is  at  home,  too,  as  we  P^P,  but  everything  in 
this  house  that  our  little  angel  child  touched  has 
become  sacred  to  me.  Ah,  Richard,  there  are 
some  things  in  life  that  thee  hasn't  learned  yet,  and 
all  the  books  couldn't  teach  thee  ;  but  what  I  have 
said  to  thee  reveals  a  little  of  my  love  for  this  old 
home.  How  I  love  those  \vhom  God  has  given  me, 
only  he  knows.  Well,  he  directed  thy  random  steps 
to  us  one  day  last  June,  and  we  \velcomed  thee  as 
a  stranger.  But  thee  has  a  different  welcome  to 
day,  Richard — a  very  different  welcome.  Thee 
doesn't  like  to  hear  about  it  ;  but  we  never  forget." 

'No,  Richard,  we  never  forget,"  Mrs.  Yocomb 
breathed  softly. 

"  Do  you  think,  sir,  that  I  forget  the  unquestion 
ing  hospitality  that  brought  me  here  ?  Can  you 
think,  Mrs.  Yocomb,  I  ever  forget  the  words  you 
spoke  to  me  in  yonder  parlor  on  the  evening  of  my 
arrival  ?  or  that  I  should  have  died  but  for  your 
devoted  and  merciful  care  ?  This  day,  with  its 


43 8  A    DA  Y  OF  FA  TE. 

hopes,  teaches  me  how  immeasurable  would  have 
been  my  loss,  for  my  prospects  then  were  not  bright 
for  either  world.  Rest  assured,  dear  friends,  I  have 
my  memories  too.  The  service  I  rendered  you  any 
man  would  have  given,  and  it  was  my  unspeakable 
good  fortune  to  be  here.  But  the  favors  which  I 
have  received  have  been  royal  ;  they  are  such  as  I 
could  not  receive  from  others,  because  others  would 
be  incapable  of  bestowing  them." 

'  You  are  right,  Mr.  Morton,"  Miss  Warren  be 
gan  impetuously,  her  lovely  eyes  full  of  tears.  "  I, 
too,  have  received  kindnesses  that  could  not  come 
from  others,  because  others  would  not  know  how  to 
confer  them  with  your  gentleness  and  mercy,  Mrs. 
Yocomb.  Oh  !  oh  !  I  wish  I  could  make  you 
and  your  husband  know  how  I  thank  you.  I, 
too,  never  forget.  But  if  we  talk  this  way  any 
more,  I  shall  have  to  make  a  hasty  retreat." 

'  Well,  I  should  say  this  ivas  a  thanksgiving  din 
ner,"  remarked  Reuben  sententiously. 

Since  we  couldn't  cry,  we  all  laughed,  and  I 
thanked  the  boy  for  letting  us  down  so  cleverly. 
The  deep  feeling  that  memories  would  evoke  in  spite 
of  ourselves  sank  back  into  the  depths  of  our  hearts. 
The  shadow  on  our  faces  passed  like  an  April  cloud, 
and  the  sunshine  became  all  the  sweeter  and 
brighter. 

"If  Adah  were  only  here  !"  I  cried.  "  I  miss 
her  more  and  more  every  moment,  and  the  occasion 
seems  wholly  incomplete  without  her." 

'  Yes,  dear  child,  I  miss  her  too,  more  than  I 
can  tell  you,"  she  said,  her  eyes  growing  very  ten- 


THANKSGIVING  DA  Y.  439 

der  and  wistful.  "  She's  thinking  of  us.  Doesn't 
thee  think  she  has  improved  ?  She  used  to  read 
those  magazines  thee  sent  her  till  I  had  to  take 
them  away  and  send  her  to  bed." 

"  I  can't  tell  you  how  proud  I  am  of  Adah.  It 
was  like  a  June  day  to  see  her  fair  sweet  face  in  the 
city,  and  it  would  have  had  done  your  hearts  good 
if  you  could  have  heard  how  she  spoke  of  you  all." 

"  Adah  is  very  proud  of  her  big  brother,  too,  I 
can  tell  thee.  She  quotes  thy  opinions  on  all  occa 
sions.  " 

"  The  one  regret  of  my  visit  is  that  I  shall  not 
see  her,"  Miss  Warren  said  earnestly.  "  Mrs.  Yo- 
comb,  I  have  those  roses  she  gave  me  the  day  be 
fore  I  left  you  last  summer,  and  I  shall  always  keep 
them.  I  told  Cousin  Adelaide  that  they  were  given 
to  me  by  the  best  and  most  beautiful  girl  in  the 
world." 

"  God  bless  the  girl  !"  ejaculated  Mr.  Yocomb  ; 
"  she  has  become  a  great  comfort  and  joy  to  me  ;" 
and  his  wife  smiled  softly  and  tenderly. 

"  Adah  is  so  good  to  me,"  cried  Zillah,  "  that  if 
Emily  hadn't  come  I  wouldn't  have  half  enjoyed 
the  day." 

What  does  thee  think  of  that  view  of  the  occa 
sion,  Richard  ?"  asked  Mr.  Yocomb. 

"  Zillah  and  I  always  agreed  well  together,"  I 
said  ;  "  but  I  wish  Adah  knew  how  much  we  miss 
her." 

"  She  shall  know,"  said  her  mother.  '  I  truly 
wish  we  had  all  of  our  children  with  us  to-day  ;  for, 
Richard,  we  have  adopted  thee  and  Emily  without 


440  A    DA  Y   OF  FA  TE. 

asking  your  consent.  I  think  the  lightning  fused 
us  all  together." 

I  looked  with  a  quick  flash  toward  Miss  Warren, 
but  her  eyes  were  on  the  mother,  and  they  were 
full  of  a  daughter's  love. 

"  Dear  Mrs.  Yocomb, "  I  replied,  in  a  voice  not 
over-steady,  "  you  know  that  as  far  as  fusing  was 
concerned  I  was-the  worst  struck  of  you  all,  and 
this  day  proves  that  I  am  no  longer  without  kin 
dred." 

But  how  vain  the  effort  to  reproduce  the  light 
and  shade  that  filled  the  quaint,  simple  room  ! 
How  vain  the  attempt  to  make  the  myriad  ripples 
of  that  hour  flow  and  sparkle  again,  each  one  of  us 
meanwhile  conscious  of  the  depths  beneath  them  ! 


CHAPTER   XXI. 

RIPPLES    ON    DEEP   WATER. 

AFTER  dinner  was  over,  Reuben  cried,  "  Come, 
Zillah,  I'm   going  out  with   Dapple,  and  I'll 
give  thee  a  ride  that'll  settle  thy  dinner.      Emily, 
thee   hasn't   petted   Dapple   to-day.      Thee's  very 
forgetful  of  one  of  thy  best  friends." 

Do  you  know,"  said  Miss  Warren  to  me  as  we 
followed  the  boy,  "  Reuben  sent  Dapple's  love  to 
me  every  time  he  wrote  ?" 

It's  just  what  Dapple  would  have  done  himself 
if  he  could.  Did  you  refuse  to  receive  it  ?" 

"  No  indeed.      Why  should  I  ?" 

"  Oh,  I'm  not  jealous  ;  only  I  can't  help  thinking 
that  the  horse  had  greater  privileges  than  I." 

She  bit  her  lip,  and  her  color  deepened,  but 
instead  of  answering  she  tripped  away  from  me 
toward  the  barn.  Dapple  came  prancing  out,  and 
whinnied  as  soon  as  he  saw  her. 

"  Oh,  he  knows  thee  as  well  as  I.  do,"  said  Reu 
ben.  "  He  thinks  thee's  a  jolly  good  girl.  Thee's 
kind  of  cut  me  out  ;  but  I  owe  thee  no  grudge. 
See  how  he'll  come  to  thee  now,"  and  sure  enough, 
the  horse  came  and  put  his  nose  in  her  hand,  where 
he  found  a  lump  of  sugar. 

'  I  won't  give  you  fine  words  only,  Dapple,"  she 
said,  and  the  beautiful  animal's  spirited  eyes  grew 
mild  and  gentle  as  if  he  understood  her  perfectly. 


442  A    DAY  OF  FA  TE. 

"  Heaven  grant  that  she  gives  me  more  than 
words  !"  I  muttered. 

While  Reuben  was  harnessing  Dapple,  Miss  War 
ren  entered  the  barn,  saying, 

"  I  feel  a  little  remorseful  over  my  treatment  of 
Old  Plod,  and  think  I  will  go  and  speak  to  him." 

44  May  1  be  present  at  the  interview  ?" 

44  Certainly.'' 

Either  the  old  horse  had  grown  duller  and  heavier 
than  ever,  or  else  was  offended  by  her  long  neglect, 
for  he  paid  her  but  little  attention,  and  kept  his 
head  down  in  his  manger. 

44  Dapple  would  not  treat  you  like  that,  even  if 
you  hadn't  a  lump  of  sugar  in  your  hand." 

"  Dapple  is  peculiar,"  she  remarked. 

"Do  you  mean  a  little  ill-balanced?  He  was 
certainly  very  precipitate  on  one  occasion." 

4  Yes,  but  he  had  the  grace  to  stop  before  he  did 
any  harm." 

44  But  suppose  he  couldn't  stop?  Did  Old  Plod 
give  you  any  more  advice  ?" 

'4  Mr.  Morton,  you  must  curb  your  editorial  habit 
of  inquiring  into  everything.  Am  I  a  dragon  ?" 

'  I  fear  you  more  than  all  the  dragons  put  to 
gether. " 

4  Then  you  area  brave  man  to  stay." 

Not  at  all.     To  run  away  would  be  worse  than 
death." 

4  What  an  awful  dilemma  you  are  in  !  It  seems 
to  me,  however,  the  coolest  veteran  in  the  land  could 
not  have  made  a  better  dinner  while  in  such  peril." 

14  I  had  scarcely  eaten  anything  since  yesterday 


RIPPLES   ON  DEEP    WATER.  443 

morning.  Moreover,  1  was  loyally  bound  to  com 
pliment  Mrs.  Yocomb's  efforts  in  the  only  way  that 
would  have  satisfied  her." 

"  That  reminds  me  that  I  ought  to  go  and  help 
Mrs.  Yocomb  clear  away  the  vast  debris  of  such  a 
dinner." 

"  Miss  Warren,  I  have  only  this  afternoon  and 
evening." 

'  Truly,  Mr.  Morton,  the  pathos  in  your  tones 
would  move  a  post." 

14  But  will  it  move  you  ?  That's  the  question 
that  concerns  me.  Will  you  take  a  walk  with  me  ?" 

"  Indeed,  I  think  I  must  go  now,  if  1  would  not 
bethought  more  insensible  than  a  post.  Wait  till  I 
put  on  more  wraps,  and  do  you  get  your  overcoat, 
sir,  or  you  will  take  cold." 

4  Yes,  I'm  awfully  afraid  I  shall  be  chilled,  and 
the  overcoat  wouldn't  help  me.  Nevertheless,  I'll 
do  your  bidding  in  this,  as  in  all  respects." 

4  What  a  lamb-like  frame  of  mind  !"  she  cried  ; 
but  her  step  up  the  piazza  was  light  and  quick. 

44  She  could  not  so  play  with  me  if  she  meant  to 
be  cruel,  for  she  has  not  a  feline  trait,"  I  mur 
mured,  as  I  pulled  on  my  ulster.  4  This  genial 
day  has  been  my  ally,  and  she  has  not  the  heart  to 
embitter  it.  So  far  from  finding  'other  interests,' 
she  must,  have  seen  that  time  has  intensified  the 
one  chief  interest  of  my  life.  Oh,  it  would  be  like 
death  to  be  sent  away  again.  How  beautiful  she 
has  become  in  her  renewed  health  !  Her  great 
spiritual  eyes  make  me  more  conscious  of  the 
woman-angel  within  her  than  of  a  flesh-and-blood 


444  A    DAY  OF  FA  TE. 

maiden.  Human  she  is  indeed,  but  never  of  the 
earth,  earthy.  Even  when  I  take  her  hand,  now 
again  so  plump  and  pretty,  I  feel  the  exquisite  thrill 
of  her  life  within.  It's  like  touching  a  spirit,  were 
such  a  thing  possible.  I  crushed  her  hand  this 
morning,  brute  that  I  was  !  It's  been  red  all  day. 
Well,  Heaven  speed  me  now  !" 

'  What  !  talking  to  yourself  again,  Mr.  Mor 
ton  ?"  asked  Miss  Warren,  suddenly  appearing,  and 
looking  anything  but  spirit-like,  with  her  rich  color 
and  substantial  wraps. 

"  It's  a  habit  of  lonely  people,"  I  said. 

'  The  idea  of  a  man  being  lonely  among  such 
crowds  as  you  must  meet  !" 

"  I  have  yet  to  learn  that  a  crowd  makes  com 
pany." 

4  Wouldn't  you  like  to  ask  Mr.  Yocomb  to  go 
with  us  ?" 

"  No,"  I  replied,  very  brusquely. 
I  fear  your  lamb- like  mood  is  passing  away." 

"  Not  at  all.  Moreover,  I'm  a  victim  of  remorse 
— I  hurt  your  hand  this  morning." 

'  Yes,  you  did." 

"  I've  hurt  you  a  great  many  times." 

"I'm  alive,  thank  you,  and  have  had  a  good 
dinner." 

'Yes,  you  are  very  much  alive.  Are  you  very 
amiable  after  dinner?" 

"  No  ;  that's  a  trait  belonging  to  men  alone.  I 
now  understand  your  lamb-like  mood.  But  where 
are  you  going,  Mr.  Morton  ?  You  are  walking  at 
random,  and  have  brought  up  against  the  barn." 


RIPPLES  O.Y  DEEP   IV A  TER.  445 

"  Oh,  I  see.  Wouldn't  you  like  to  visit  Old 
Plod  again  ?" 

"  No,  I  thank  you  ;  he  has  forgotten  me." 

"  By  the  way,  we  are  friends,  are  we  not,  and 
can  be  very  confidential  ?" 

"  If  you  have  any  doubt,  you  had  better  be  pru 
dent  and  reticent." 

"  I  wish  I  could  find  some  sweetbrier  ;  I'd  give 
you  the  whole  bush." 

"  Do  you  think  I  deserve  a  thorny  experience?" 

"  You  know  what  I  think.  When  was  there  an 
hour  when  you  did  not  look  through  me  as  if  1  were 
glass.  But  we  are  confidential  friends,  are  we  not  ?" 

"  Well,  for  the  sake  of  argument  we  may  im 
agine  ourselves  such." 

44  To  be  logical,  then,  I  must  tell  you  something 
of  which  I  have  not  yet  spoken  to  any  one.  I  called 
on  Adah  the  evening  I  learned  she  was  in  town,  and 
I  saw  her  enter  an  elegant  coupe  driven  by  a  coach 
man  in  stunning  livery.  A  millionaire  of  your  ac 
quaintance  accompanied  her." 

'  What  !"    she    exclaimed,    her   face    becoming 
fairly  radiant. 

I  nodded  very  significantly. 

"  For  shame,  Mr.  Morton  !  What  a  gossip  you 
are  !"  but  her  laugh  rang  out  like  a  chime  of  silver 
bells. 

At  that  moment  Mr.  Yocomb  appeared  on  the 
piazza,  and  he  applauded  loudly,  "  Good  for  thee, 
Emily,"  he  cried,  "  that  sounds  like  old  times." 

"  Come  away,  quick,"  I  said,  and  I  strode  rapidly 
around  the  barn. 


44 6  A    DA  Y   OF  FA  TE. 

Do  you  expect  me  to  keep  up  with  you  ?"  she 
asked,  stopping  short  and  looking  so  piquant  and 
tempting  that  1  rejoined  her  instantly. 

"  I'll  go  as  slow  as  you  please.      I'll  do  anything 
under  heaven  you  bid  me." 

'  You  treat  Mr.  Yocomb  very  shabbily." 
'  You  won't  make  me  go  after  him,  will  you  ?" 
"Why,    Mr.    Morton!     What  base  ingratitude, 
and  after  such  a  dinner  too," 

'  You  know  how  ill-balanced  I  am." 
"  I  fear  you  are  growing  worse  and  worse.." 
"  I  am  indeed.      Left  to  myself,  I  should  be  the 
most  unbalanced  man  in  the  world/' 

Mr.  Morton,  your  mind  is  clearly  unsettled.    I 
detected  the  truth  the  first  day  I  sa  v  you." 

No,  my  mind,  such  as  it  is,  is  made  up  irre 
vocably  and  forever.  I  must  tell  you  that  I  can't 
afford  to  keep  a  coupe." 

'  There  is  a  beautiful  sequence  in  your  remarks. 
Then  you  ought  not  to  keep  one.     But  why  com 
plain  ?     There  are  always  omnibuses  within   call." 
"  Are  you  fond  of  riding  in  an  omnibus  ?" 
11  What  an  irrelevant  question  !     Suppose  I   fol 
low  your  example,  and   ask  what  you  think  of  the 
Copernican  system  ?" 

'  You  can't  be  ill-balanced  if  you  try,  and  your 
question  is  not  in  the  least  irrelevant.  The  Coper 
nican  system  is  true,  and  illustrates  my  position  ex 
actly.  There  is  a  heavenly  body,  radiant  with  light 
and  beauty,  that  attracts  me  irresistibly.  The  mo 
ment  I  came  within  her  influence  my  orbit  was 
fixed." 


RIPPLES   ON  DEEP   WATER.  447 

"  Isn't  your  orbit  a  little  eccentric  ?"  she  asked, 
with  averted  face.  "  Still  your  figure  may  be  very 
apt.  Another  body  of  greater  attraction  would 
carry  you  off  into  space." 

'  There  is  no  such  body  in  existence." 

"  Mr.  Morton,  we  were  talking  about  omni 
buses." 

"  And  you  have  not  answered  my  question." 

"  Since  we  are  such  confidential  friends,  I  will 
tell  you  a  profound  secret.  prefer  street  cars  to 
omnibuses,  and  would  much  rather  ride  in  one  than 
in  a  carriage  that  I  could  not  pay  for." 

''  Well,  now,  that's  sensible." 

"  Yes,  quite  matter-of-fact.  Where  are  you 
going,  Mr.  Morton?" 

"  Wherever  you  wish — even  to  Columbus." 

"  What  !    run   away  from   your  work  and  duty? 
Where  is  your  conscience?" 
Where  my  heart  is, ' ' 

"  Oh,  both  are  in  Columbus.  I  should  think  it 
inconvenient  to  have  them  so  far  off." 

I  turned  and  tried  to  look  in  her  eyes,  but  she 
turned  them  away. 

'  I  can  prove  that  my  conscience  was  in  Colum 
bus  ;  I  consulted  you  on  every  question  I  discussed 
in  the  paper." 

Nonsense  !  you  never  wrote  me  a  line." 

"  I  was  enjoined  not  to  in  a  way  that  made  my 
blood  run  cold.  But  I  thought  Mrs.  Vining's  opin 
ions  might  be  influenced  by  a  member  of  her  family, 
and  I  never  wrote  a  line  unmindful  of  that  influ 
ence." 


443  A  DA  V   OF  FATE. 

Again  her  laugh  rang  out.  ;<  I  should  call  the 
place  where  you  wrote  the  Circumlocution  Office. 
Well,  to  keep  up  your  way  of  doing  things,  that 
member  of  the  family  read  most  critically  all  you 
wrote." 

"How  could  you  tell  my  work  from  that  of 
others  ?" 

*'  Oh,  I  could  tell  every  line  from  your  hand  as  if 
spoken  to  me." 

"  Well,  fair  critic?" 

"  Never  compliment  a  critic.  It  makes  them 
more  severe. " 

"  I  could  do  so  much  better  if  you  were  in  New 
York." 

'  What  !  Do  you  expect  me  to  go  into  the 
newspaper  business  ?" 

'  You  are  in  it  now — you  are  guiding  me.  You 
are  the  inspiration  of  my  best  work,  and  you  know 
it." 

We  had  now  reached  a  point  where  the  lane 
wound  through  a  hemlock  grove.  My  hope  was 
glad  and  strong,  but  I  resolved  to  at  once  remove 
all  shadow  of  fear,  and  I  shrank  from  further  proba 
tion.  Therefore  1  stopped  decisively,  and  said  in  a 
voice  that  faltered  not  a  little, 

11  Emily,  our  light  words  are  but  ripples  that 
cover  depths  which  in  my  case  reach  down  through 
life  and  beyond  it.  You  are  my  fate.  I  knew  it 
the  day  I  first  met  you.  I  know  it  now  with  ab 
solute  conviction." 

She  turned  a  little  away  from  me  and  trembled. 

"  Do   you  remember  this?"    1   asked,  and  1  took 


RIPPLES   ON  DEEP   WATER.  449 

from  my  pocketbook  the  withered  York  and  Lan 
caster  rose-bud. 

She  gave  it  a  dark  glance,  and  her  crimson  face 
grew  pale. 

'  Too  well,"  she  replied,  in  a  low  tone. 

I  threw  it  down  and  ground  it  under  my  heel  ; 
then,  removing  my  hat,  I  said, 

"  I  am  at  your  mercy.  You  are  the  stronger,  and 
your  foot  is  on  my  neck." 

She  turned  on  me  instantly,  and  her  face  was 
aflame  with  her  eager,  imperious  demand  to  know 
the  truth.  Taking  both  my  hands  in  a  tense,  strong 
grasp,  she  looked  into  my  eyes  as  if  she  would  read 
my  very  soul.  "  Richard,"  she  said,  in  a  voice  that 
was  half  entreaty,  half  command,  "  in  God's  name, 
tell  me  the  truth — the  whole  truth.  Do  you  respect 
me  at  heart?  Do  you  trust  me?  Can  yo» trust 
me  as  Mr.  Yocomb  trusts  his  wife  ?" 

"  I  will  make  no  comparisons,"  I  replied  gently. 
"  Like  the  widow  in  the  Bible,  I  give  you  all  I 
have." 

Her  tense  grasp  relaxed,  her  searching  eyes 
melted  into  love  itself,  and  I  snatched  her  to  my 
heart. 

'  What  were  the  millions  I  lost  compared  with 
this  dower  !"  she  murmured.  '  I  knew  it — I've 
known  it  all  day,  ever  since  you  crushed  my  hand. 
Oh,  Richard,  your  rude  touch  healed  a  sore  heart." 

"  Emily,"  I  said,  with  a  low  laugh,  "  that  June 
day  was  the  day  of  fate  after  all." 

'  It  was,  indeed.  I  wish  I  could  make  you 
know  how  gladly  I  accept  mine.  Oh,  Richard,  I 


45°  A    DA  V   OF  FA  TE. 

nearly  killed  myself  trying  not  to  love  you.      It  was 
fate,  or  something  better." 

'  Then  suppose  we  change  the  figure,  and  say  out 
match  was  made  in  heaven." 

I  will  not  attempt  to  describe  that  evening  at  the 
farm-house.  We  were  made  to  feel  that  it  was  our 
own  dear  home — a  safe,  quiet  haven  ever  open  to  us 
when  we  wished  to  escape  from  the  turmoil  of  the 
world.  I  thank  God  for  our  friends  there,  and 
their  unchanging  truth. 

I  accompanied  Emily  to  Columbus,  but  I  went 
after  her  again  in  the  spring,  and  for  a  time  she 
made  the  old  farm-house  her  home. 

Adah  was  married  at  Mrs.  Winfield's  large  city 
mansion,  for  Mr.  Hearn  had  a  host  of  relatives  and 
friends  whom  he  wished  present.  The  farm-house 
would  not  have  held  a  tithe  of  them,  and  the  banker 
was  so  proud  of  his  fair  country  flower  that  he 
seemed  to  want  the  whole  world  to  see  her. 

We  were  married  on  the  anniversary  of  the  day 
of  our  fate,  and  in  the  old  garden,  where  I  first  saw 
my  Eve,  my  truth.  She  has  never  tempted  me  to 
aught  save  good  deeds  and  brave  work. 


THE    END. 


/;.   1\  ROE'S  POPULAR  XOl'ELS. 


The  late  DR.  Rii'i.EY,  the  veteran  critic  of  the  New  York  Tribune,  was 
me  of  tlie  first  to  recognize  MR.  ROE'S  success  as  a  writer  of  fiction.  The 
following  paragraph  frvm  an  extended  review  of '''  Barriers  Burned  Away,"' 
:!/>'.  2\jSs  first  work,  ivas  from  his  pen  and  appeared  soon  after  its  publica 
tion. 

"  We  can  thus  accord  a  hearty  commendation  to  this  work,  regarded 
as  an  imaginative  composition.  The  narrative  is  vigorous,  often  in 
tense,  but  rarely  if  ever  melodramatic.  Its  language  is  usually  no  less 
chaste  than  forcible  and  impressive.  It  betrays  a  power  of  invention 
and  of  description  which  is  not  met  with  every  day  in  the  best  of  wri 
ters  of  popular  fiction." — Dr.  Ripley  in  the  N.  Y.  Tribune. 


77,v  jjllcnving  figures  will  best  indicate  thp  verdict  of  the  public 
upon  MR.  ROE'S  stories: 

Barriers  Burned  Away, 

above  referred  to,  is  in  its  32d  thousand. 

What  Can  She  Do? 

"        22d  thousand. 

Opening  of  a  Chestnut  Burr, 

"       33d  thousand. 

From  Jest  to  Earnest, 

"  30th  thousand. 
Near  to  Nature's  Heart, 

"     2yth  thousand. 

A  Knight  of  the  XlXth  Century, 

"  24th  thousand. 
A  Face  Illumined, 

"  25th  thousand. 
A  Day  of  Fate, 

Now  published.     First  edition,  20  thousand. 
EACH    1   VOL,,  12mo,  $1,50. 


DODD,  MEAD  &  COMPANY, 

ruBLiSKF.rr,  X'v/  YORK 


ONE  OF  THE  MOST  BEAUTIFUL  GIFT-BOOKS  OF  THE  SEASON 

WILL   BE  to 

E.    P.    ROE'S 

SUCCESS  WITH  SMALL  FRUITS. 

ONE    ELEGANT    VOLUME,    OCTAVO,    3i2    PAGES, 

Superbly  printed  on  superfine  paper,  and  Illustrated  with  nearly  100  Engravings 

from  designs  by  Gibson,  Mary  liallock  Foote,  Sheppard,  Jessie  Curtis, 

Winslow  Homer,  Kappes,  and  others. 

RICHLY  BOUND  IN  CLOTH  EXTRA,  BEVELLED  BOARDS,  WITH  ORNATE  SIDE  AND  BACK. 
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Attention  is  invited  to  the  strong  commendations  of  this  beautiful  look  from  the  highest 
literary  and  horticultural  authorities.  A  more  suitable  present  to  a  friend  in  the  country 
•:annot  -well  be  imagined.  The  book  is  a  most  beautiful  specimen  of  the  printer's  and 
binder  s  art,  "while  its  full  and  accurate  illustrations  will  awaken  an  interest  both  in  the 
subject  treated  and  in  the  art  which  illustrates  it.  The  work  is  a  unique  and  most  at 
tractive  combination  of  the  practical  and  beautiful. 


BOSTON,  May  27,  1880. 
11  E.  P.  ROE,  Cornwall-on-the-Hudson,  N.    F._ 

"  MY  FRIEND:  "  I  am  in  receipt  of  your  splendid  book.  It  is  full  of  valuable  information, 
not  only  tobeginners  but  to  those  of  the  ripest  experience.  In  fact,  it  is  the  most  elegant  in 
its  illustrations  and  execution,  comprehensive  in  its  investigations,  and  judicious  in  its 
(cachings,  of  any  work  on  the  same  subject  ever  published  in  our  country.  More  than 
I  his,  it  is  a  fine  illustration  of  what  industry,  intelligence,  and  devotion  can  accomplish. 
1  give  it  a  hearty  welcome.  Success  to  '  Success  with  Small  Fruits.' 

HON.  MARSHALL  P.  WILDER." 
lk  PRES.  AM.  POMOLOGICAL  SOCIETY: 

"I  think  Mr.  Wilder's  estimate  is  correct.  CHAS.  DOWNING." 

"  This  book  is  phenomenal  in  every  respect.  The  art  of  our  best  artists,  and  the 
highest  skill  of  the  wood  engraver  are  here  made  to  illustrate  such  prosaic  subjects  as 
Drubbing  a  stony  field,  or  to  make  beautiful  and  attractive  the  most  stupid  and  monot- 
Dnous  work  of  berry-picking.  The  author  brings  the  graces  of  a  style  that  have  given 
him  a  place  among  the  popular  writers  of  the  day,  to  tell  how  berries  are  grown,  picked, 
snd  marketed.  The  engravings  may  be  regarded  as  of  two  kinds,  fruits  and  fruit-grow- 
uig  scenes.  In  representing  the  fruits,  while  a  great  amount  of  skill  is  shown  in  pre- 
•'•nting  them  artistically,  any  tendency  to  exaggeration  has  been  wisely  repressed,  and 
they  show  the  varieties  at  their  best  without  sacrifice  of  their  accuracy  as  pomological 
portraits.  The  author  gives  instructions  that  may  be  safely  followed,  and  gives  them 
in  an  attractive  torm,  as  he  well  understands  the  art  of  *  putting  things.'  Not  the 
least  interesting  portion  of  the  work,  and  that  which  has  the  best  claim  to  novelty,  is 
the  description  of  strawberry  culture  in  the  Southern  States,  and  it  has  also  afforded 
themes  for  some  of  the  most  pleasing  pictures.  We  may  sum  up  our  opinion  of  this  work 
in  two  words — Beautiful  - ,_  1  Useful.1' 

DR.  GEO.  THURBER,  in  the  Am.  Agriculturist. 

valuable   aid  to    ill  who 

se  their  own  supply  of  small  fruits,  and  to  such  a 

staining    profit  by  marketing  ;    and    it  will  stro.ig' 
......u...iiior  in    those  who   make  i't   their  introdn    torv   tr:irh 

i  of  th( 


"  I  liave  now  carefully  read  your  article  on  Strawberry  Culture,  and  find  nothinj 
in  it  to  correct  or  amend,  as  it  seems  to  be  sound  throughout.  1  must  c..ngratulat< 
you  upon  having  such  generous  publishers  to  furnish  those  beautiful  i lustrations. "- 
A.  S.  FULLER,  probably  the  best  authority  on  small  fruits. 

"'Have  you  seen  Roe's  "Success  with  Small  Fruits"?'  said  the  goeo  Col.  Wilder 
as  the  wruer  of  this  took  his  arm  to  walk  into  the  Old  South  Church.  'he  reply  wa 
that  it  had  not  been  seen.  'Then,'  said  the  enthusiastic  pomoiogisi.  don't  iail  ti 
do  so  when  you  return.  It  is  a  contribution  to  American  pomology  we  may  all  be  proui 
of.'  On  the  return  home,  it  was  on  our  table,  and  we  can  well  understand  Col.  Wild 
er's  pleasure  on  its  appearanc-  on  h;s.  It  has  dune  for  pomology  what  the -works  o 
Downing,  F.  J.  Scott  and  others  have  done  for  other  b  anches  of  gardening.  It  ha 
placed  it  among  the  fine  arts,  and  while  paying  full  respect  to  the  dollar  and  cent  as 
pect  of  :-m<dl  fruit  culture,  gives  us  an  intellectual  trc  it,  rich  and  rare,  which  any  on 
might  enjoy,  though  he  never  set  out  a  strawoerry  plant,  or  ate  a  berry  in  his  life 
Kv^ry  effort  to  elevate  our  beautiful  att  must  be  welcome  to  its  best  fiieiids  ;  and  wel 
come,  very  welcome  will  be  this  beautiful  work  of  Mr.  Roe's.  The  genuine  lover  c 
gardening  will  -extend  thanks  to  author  and  publisher  alike." 

THOMAS  MEEHAN,  in  the  Gardeners  Monthly. 

"  The  nbunuant  pictorial  illustrations,  which  show  uncommon  excellence  both  in  desig: 
and  execution,  add  much  to  the  utility  as  -v  11  as  the  attractiveness  of  the  volume,  whic! 
will  find  a  choice  piace  in  the  library,  both  for  the  beauty  of  its  exterior  and  the  value  of  it 
contents." — New  York  Tribune. 

"  The  pictures  are  the  same  that  appeared  in  Scribner*  s  Magazine,  but  the  text  ha 
been  vtry  much  expanded,  so  that  it  stands  to  day  as  the  most  complete  and  thoroug 
treatise  on  berry  culture  yet  published.  The  book  is  not  only  instructive,  but  amusing."  - 
New  York  Times. 

"  Fie  who  studies  these  fascinating  pages,  and  reduces  its  sensible  suggestions  to  prac 
tice,  must  have  either  very  poor  land  or  very  poor  luck,  if  he  do  not  make  money  with  hi 
small  fruits,  while  faring  sumptuously  every  day." — Congregaiionalist. 

"Some  of  the  best  artists  and  most  accomplished  engravers  in  the  country  have  bee 
enlisted  in  the  work,  and  they  liave  produced  engravings  which  serve  perfectly  the  purpos 
of  illustration,  wh'le  giving  to  the  book  the  character  of  a  line  ait  collection.'  — -\V;j  Yo> 
Evening  Post. 

"The  book  will  be  an  ornament  of  any  centre-table,  but  it  is  more  than  this,  for  a  mor 
clear,  full,  and  intelligent  euide  t  >  the  raiding  of  berries,  in  all  its  aspects,  agricultural  ani 
financial,  has  never  been  published. "  —Cincinnati  Da.ly  Gazette. 

"  The  most  entertaining  and  beautiful  woik  that  was  ever  devoted  to  the  consider..tio 
of  a  horticultural  topic.  Wh*t  was  merely  outlined  in  Scribner's  Magazine  is  fully  pre 
sented  in  these  pages  with  many  interesting  additions.  If  men  and  women  could  be  lure 
back  to  their  ongm.il  calling  by  words  and  pictures,  this  delightful  volume  would  result  i 
many  a  Paradise  Regained.  Every  one  who  h  .s  a  garden,  or  remembers  a  garden  he  one 
ha<t,  or  wishes  for  a  garden  he  never  had,  svill  fi:id  all  these  chapters  and  thtir  adornment 
full  of  interest  and  fascination.'1 — New  York  Observer. 

u  For  fulness,  accuracy,  good  style,  and  admirable  illustrations,  this  is  perhaps  th 
best  work  on  the  subject  in  English." — Independent,  N.  Y. 

"  From  the  rare  ta^te  an^l  finish  of  the  illustrations,  the  book  is  one  th.it  W'll  not  onl 
interest  and  instruct,  but  will  r.dorn  any  centre-table  where  art  and  aitist  work  is  appre 
cia  ted . " — Cli  icago  Inter-  Ocea  n . 

"  Mr.  Roe's  'Success  with  Small  Fruits'  is  a  volume  that  combines  elegance  with  utilit 
in  an  unusual  degree.  Its  typography  is  faultless,  and  it  is  rich  in  embellishments  re  pro 
ducing  the  forms  of  the  'edible  rubies  with  celestial  perfume  and  ambrosial  flavor'  of  whic 
he  discourses  so  genially,  and  whose  profitable  production  he  undertakes,  in  the  plainest  o 
plain  prose,  to  make  clear  to  farmers  and  amateurs.  Although  the  authors  enthusiast 
leads  him  to  indulge  in  much  by-play  of  gay  and  vivacious  talk,  and  in  frequently  recurrin. 
sesthetic,  gossiping,  anecdotal,  or  picturesque  digressions,  he  never  loses  sight  of  his  mai 
object,  which  is  a"  thoroughly  practical  one.  As  a  manual.  Mr.  Roe's  book  is  a  model  c 

S  radical  common-sen-e.     He  suggests  nothing  but  what  has  been  tried  and  approved,  am 
e   rigorously   avoids    all    glittering  and   deceptive    generalizations.      Its   illustrations  ar 
superb — those  from  <!e-igns  bv  \V.  H,  Gibson.  Mrs.  Mary  H    Foote.  and  Miss  Jessie  Curti 


P.    ROE'S  POPULAR    STORIES. 


NEAR  TO   NATURE'S   HEART. 

Price,  $1.50, 

"  His  heroine  absorbs  the  main  interest  of  the  plot.  She  is  a  pure  child  of  Nature,  with  a. 
li  i  ited  experience  of  life,  and  none  of  society  ;  but  her  artless  character  combines  a  treasure  of 
noble  princip'e,  womanly  devotion,  and  high-souled  conduct,  which  is  rarely  found  among  the 
fruits  of  the  choicest  culture." — New  York  Tribune. 

'•  The  stirring  scenes  of  the  Revolution  afford  ample  material  for  dramatic  incidents,  which 
are  skilfully  employed.  Verais  by  far  the  most  original  of  Mr.  Roe's  conceptions,  and  is  drawn 
with  very  decided  artistic  skill."1 — Harper's  Magazine. 

"The  plot  is  sufficiently  complex,  the  story  is  told  smoothly,  and  its  interest  is  v/ell  sus 
tained  throughout.  His  views  are  broadly  catholic,  and  his  nations  of  morality  and  right  living 
are  thoroughly  sound  and  wholesome." — Evening  Post. 

"  In  its  plot  it  is  original  ;  in  its  diction  it  is  eminently  smooth  and  graceful  ;  and  in  its 
moral  it  is  above  all  praise." — Boston.  Evening  Telegraph. 

"The  avidity  and  delight  with  which  Mr.  R*  e's  books  are  read  is  a  most  hopeful 
sign  and  shows  that  people  will  read  what  is  good  for  them  if  only  they  can  get  it" — Advance, 
Chicago. 


A   FACE   ILLUMINED. 

12ma,    Price,  $1.50, 

"  The  author  does  not,  as  is  often  the  case,  make  the  moral  design  an  ex-use  for  literary 
shortcomings.  His  characters  are  stamped  with  a  strong  individuality,  and  depicted  wiih 
naturalness  that  indicates  a  keen  student  of  human  nature  and  modern  life ."  —  Boston  Traveler, 

"  The  book  is  pure  and  wholesome.'' — The  Presbyterian. 

"  A  graceful  and  spirited  author,  who  possesses  the  rare  faculty  of  depicting  the  moral  and 
sympathetic  side  of  human  nature  with  force  and  eloquence." — N.  Y.  Diiiy  Graphic. 

"  \Ve  are  very  sure  that  none  of  Mr  Roe's  s'.ories  have  deserved  success  more  than  this. 
His  work  is  true  to  the  facts  of  human  nature." — -New  York  Observer. 

"  Brilliantly  conceived,  end  as  brilliantly  written." — Syracuse  Standard. 

"  It  is  a  story  <  f  surprising  interest." — Central  Christian  Advocate. 

"  Mr  Roc  keep-,  his  characters  wonderfully  distinct.  Each  is  himself  or  herself— a  marked 
character — when  first  introduced,  and  so  continues  to  the  end." — St.  Louis  Presbyterian. 

"It  is  certain  that  this  popular  writer  has  done  nothing  quite  so  good,  or  quite  so  well 
studied  in  its  method,  as  this." — N,  Y,  Evening  Post, 

DODD,  MEAD  &  COMPANY,  PUBLISHERS, 

7<i    BROADWAY.  N.   Y. 


E.  P.  ROE'S  POPULAR  STORIES. 

A  KNIGHT  OF  THE  XIX™  CENTURY, 

Price,  $1,50. 

'*  In  the  delineation  of  character,  which  enters  into  the  developmenc  of 

e  plot,  Mr.  Roe  shows  his  greatest  strength;  his  characters  are  portrayed 

lively  colors  and  with  excellent  effect.     This  preserves  the  na:rative  from 

e  monotony  and  commonplace  which  can  scarcely  be   avoided  in   ethiilftl 

:tions,  and  is  the  secret  of  its  success." — New  York  Tribune. 

u  It  is  a  book  which  those  who  begin  will  be  pretty  sure  to  finish,  deriving 
om  it  a  new  impulse  to  the  truest  knighthood." — Harper's  Magazine. 

"It  is  eminently  thoughtful,  admirably  constructed,  and  thoroughly 
tcresting  from  cover  to  cover." — Philadelphia  Saturday  Evening  Post. 

"  The  whole  tone  of  the  \vork  is  manly  and  healthful.  It  is  thoroughly 
jble  in  all  its  teachings  and  tendencies." — Utica  Herald. 

4i  Enhances  the  author's  already  well-established  reputation.  Mr.  Roe  is 
insational,  but  to  a  degree  that  is  not  unhealthy,  and  his  books  will  be  less 
phemeral  than  the  general  run  of  religious  novels." — Spring fi eld  Republican. 


FROM  JEST  TO  EARNEST. 

Price,  $1,50, 

"  His  plots  are  never  commonplace.  The  change  in  Lottie's  char 
ter  is  w«jll  delineated,  and  with  a  naturalness  and  artistic  skill  which  we  do 
3t  often  find  in  the  so-called  religious  novels."—  Harper's  Magazine. 

"  It  is  surprising  to  find  how  genuinely  interesting  his  stories  always  aie. 
here  is  nothing  of  the  vulgarly  sensational  about  them." — Eclectic  Mag. 

'Mr.  Roe's  books  are  religious  novels  in  perhaps  the  best  sense  of  the 
rm." — Zion's  Herald,  Boston. 

"  A  simple,  pure  story,  such  us  Mr.  Roe  has  always  written,  is  one  of 
ie  most  potent  vehicles  of  moral  2nci  religious  training  that  can  be  em- 
toyed."— Buffalo  Daily  Courier. 

"  Mr.  Roe's  works  have  had  a  fine,  noble  purpose,  each  and  all.  The 
resent  story  is  an  excellent  one— of  high  tone  and  deep  religious  strength." 
-Boston  Evening  Traveler. 

"  It  is  a  thoroughly  good  story  because  pervaded  by  an  influence 
loroughly  pure."—  Am.  Rural  Home. 

I  he  hero  is  simple,  strong,  and  manly;  much  such  a  man  as  Mr. 
mcoln  must  have  been  had  he  turned  his  attention  to  theology  insteaJ 
:  politics."— New  York  World. 

"  A  bright,  vivacious  story,  full  of  wit  and  even  frolic." — Portland  Tien 
*ipt. 

DODD,  MEAD  &  COMPANY,  PUBLISHERS, 


E.  P.  ROE'S  POPULAR  STORIES. 


WHAT  CAN  SHE  Do? 

Price,  $1,50, 

"  The  moral  purpose  of  this  book  is  amply  worthy  of  the  autl 
zeal.  It  is  that  young  women  should  be  educated  in  such  a  way  that  if 
without  money  they  shall  be  able  to  support  themselves.  Mr.  Roi 
especially  severe  on  our  American  vice  of  '  pride  of  occupation.'" — A* 
Evening  Post. 

"  We  consider  that  parents  are  indebted  to  the  author  for  the  r 
practical  story  of  the  day." — Philadelphia  Age. 

"  His  works  have  an  honest,  healthy  tone,  and  a  purpose.     His 
tative  is  full  of  interest — in  the  present  case  unusually  so      We  must 
forget  in    particular  to  allude  to  his  always  charming  bits  of  country  ] 
his  gardening  at  once  poetic  and  profitable." — N.    Y.  Evening  Express. 

"The  narrative  is  fascinating." — Chicago  Advance. 

"  An  exceedingly  well-written  story." — Churchman. 


OPENING  OF  A  CHESTNUT  BURR. 

Price,  $1,50, 

"  In  The  Opening  of  a  Chestnut  Burr,  Mr.  Roe  has  made  a  rnai 
advance  upon  his  two  previous  stories.  He  has  already  exhibited  a  rem 
able  power  of  description,  which  in  this  volume  he  uses  with  good  effec 
the  scenes  of  fire  and  shipwreck.  It  is  thoroughly  religious,  thorouj 
Christian  both  in  tone  and  teaching  " — Harper's  Magazine. 

"  The  character  of  the  selfish,  morbid,  cynical  hero,  and  his  gra< 
transformation  under  the  influence  of  the  sweet  and  high-spirited  heroine, 
portrayed  with  a  masculine  firmness,  which  is  near  akin  to  power,  and  s< 
of  the  conversations  are  animated  and  admirable." — Atlantic  Monthly. 

"  The  most  able  story  that  we  have  had  from  the  pen  of  Mr.  Roe. 
also  the  best  of  the  so-called  religious  novels  published  of  late  " — 
Christian  Union. 

"  There  are  many  stirring  and  dramatic  scenes  in  the  story,  whil< 
quieter  phases  are  not  wanting  in  grace  and  sweetness  " — Boston  Trau 
Mr.  Roe  has  laid  out  his  greatest  power  in  depicting  the  characte 
the  heroine,  who  is  a  model  of  saintly  purpose  and  ardent  piety  will 
losing  the  peculiar  charms  of  female  loveliness.  He  is  strong  in  his  delineai 
of  character.  All  his  personages  have  a  clear,  sharp-cut  individuality, 
make  a  fresh  and  deep  impression  on  the  reader." — New  York  7'n'ttnf. 

DODD,  MEAD  &  COMPANY,  PUBLISHERS 


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THE  UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 


